Stranded
by TakumaAngel
Summary: COMPLETE! Logan and Emma are at it again. Will those two ever stop fighting? Do they have a choice when they're stuck on an island together? But then again...are they really stranded on and island? Or is it all a dream...? Or something else...?
1. Chapter 1

"Why couldn't you just listen to me? Just once! It's not that hard is it? It's not that hard to just do what I tell you!"

"You don't have control over me, Logan, nor anyone else!"

"Listen, lady, you're still on thin ice, and I still don't think your reasons for being here are what you say they are."

"Honestly, Logan, what do you think I'm going to do, poison the X-Men? If I wasn't sincere about joining the team, I wouldn't be here at all. It's hard enough working with you willingly. You are just too paranoid and bossy."

Logan growled. He was so sick of this woman he wanted to strangle her sometimes. "Well maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you just listened to me once in a while!"

"Chill out, Logan," said Scott coming between them. All of them were gathered in the subbasement after they'd just returned from a rescue mission where they'd had to rescue a mutant family from the MRD. Scott-as well as the others-were growing increasingly tired of Wolverine and Frost always arguing and yelling at one another. "This is ridiculous, you two. And Logan, you aren't the boss of everyone you know. Xavier may have chosen you to lead the X-Men in his absence, but we're all still a team and we all have a say in the decisions we make."

"I'm not trying to boss anyone around! I'm just trying to do what's best for this team!"

"You mean what _you_ think is best for the team," said Emma. "Well what constitutes as "best" for you isn't always "best" for everyone else."

Logan turned to Scott. "And I suppose you agree with that too?"

Scott scowled at his teammate. "Yes, I do."

Logan growled. "Of course you'd take her side. You two have been getting awfully cozy since she's been here."

Emma glared at Logan. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"You better watch your step, Logan," warned Scott in a dangerous tone.

Logan and Scott stared at each other, the tension building. "You're the one who'd better watch your step," said Logan. "You wouldn't want to stray from your feelings for Jean."

It was obvious that that remark stung and sparked something inside of Scott. "Logan…" he began, his tone cold and hard. Jean was a touchy subject for both of them and they all new it.

"Logan, I don't think that was necessary," said Kitty weakly.

"That was cold, Logan," said Emma. "I must say, I'm surprise you would use something like that against him-"

Logan whirled on her. "You stay out of this!"

"If I'm not mistake, this argument was between us."

"Yeah, well he had to open his mouth didn't he?"

"Logan, guys, just calm down," said Beast. "We don't need to fight."

"Yeah, I'm with Beast on this one," said Bobby nervously. They all knew that with tensions this high, there was a chance of a fight, especially when it came to Jean. "Let's just relax and-" When Logan turned his angry eyes to him, Bobby said no more.

"You know what?" said Emma. "I'm tired. It's late, we've all had a stressful day and I've had enough of this. I'm going to bed." With one last glare at Logan, She turned and headed for the elevator.

Once she was gone, Logan closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his sides. He stood not facing the others as he fumed. He knew his jab at Scott was unjustified, but he couldn't hold it back. Nor did he want to apologize. There had always been that competition between the two over Jean. It just made Logan even angrier when Scott stayed in his room until a mission sulking when Logan was having just as hard a time coping with her disappearance as he was and still managed to go about life as usual.

Without another word to the others, Logan walked in the same direction Frost had gone. As much as it pained him, he agreed with Emma; it had been a long, grueling day and what they all needed was rest. A few moments later, Scott, too, went back to his room.

When they were gone, the others breathed easier. "Man, I really thought something big was going to happen," said Bobby. "Sure glad it didn't."

"So am I," said Ororo.

"I wish we could find a way to get those two to stop arguing…" said Kitty.

"That's impossible," said Beast. Those two have been comrades and rivals for too long now. There's no way that's ever going to change."

"Not them," said Kitty. "I know that. I was talking about Logan and Emma. Ever since she joined the team, they've done nothing but nit-pick at each other."

"I agree with you," said Bobby. "I like them both, but when they're together it's always a war going on between them. I wish we _could_ get them to stop fighting, or at least be able to get some entertainment out of it."

"Hmmm…" Beast pondered for a moment. "I think that's just what we need to do. And I think I know how…"

X-X-X

"What is it, Hank? What's the emergency?" Logan and the others ran to the subbasement when they'd received word of a disturbance.

"It's the Brotherhood. They've just taken a juvenile mutant by force. It turns out that the boy was in hiding from the MRD and Vietro and the others stumbled onto him and kidnapped him. Who knows what they're planning on doing with him."

"Yeah. Last time they took Nitro from the MRD and almost wiped out half of Genosha. I don't know what this kid can do, but we have to find them. And fast. Frost!"

"I know, I'm going," she said with a scowl.

"There's no need. They were spotted stealing another plane."

"Damn. Are they headed for Genosha?"

"No. They're headed North."

"Right. Let's go."

Within minutes, all of the X-Men were on board the X-Jet and headed North to find the Brotherhood. "We're catching up to them," said Beast.

"Good. How much further?"

"Not long. Maybe five minutes." There was a loud crash and the Jet shuttered. The X-Men looked up knowing full well what it was.

"Or less," said Logan. In the next instant, Blob crashed through the top of the Jet followed by Vietro and the others.

"Nice try, X-Men," said Vietro. "But the kid's staying with us."

Domino shot out the control panel just as the X-Men went after them. The battle was confusing with everyone fighting and Beast trying to keep the jet going. Blob was knocked into the side of the jet and a wall crumpled and fell to the sea below. Logan and the others knew they had to do something to get the Brotherhood off the jet before they destroyed it. Emergency systems were already going haywire, the red warning lights flashing. The X-Men and the Brotherhood all fought to throw the others from the aircraft, but it was useless on both sides.

Emma tried to get hold of Vietro's mind, but Domino pushed her and she stumbled backwards toward the open part of the jet. "Down you go," said Vietro as he gave her one last push. Emma's eyes grew wide as she began to fall, her feet no longer touching the floor of the jet.

"Frost!" Logan was fighting Blob along side Storm when he saw Emma's fall. He leapt away from Blob and pushed Vietro out of the way reaching for her. He stretched to grab her hand but went too far. Suddenly they were both plummeting toward the sea.

"Logan!" shouted Kitty. The other's screamed for the two but it was hopeless. The jet was unable to be controlled as it continued North slowly descending and getting farther away from the two fallen X-Men.

Logan's heart beat faster as he anticipated the landing. He wasn't worried for his own safety: he was nearly indestructible. But Emma…she was so fragile. As much as he hated her, he didn't want to see her dead. He reached for Emma and eventually caught her, clutching her to him as he turned so that wherever they landed, he would take the hit instead of her.

X-X-X

When Logan regained consciousness, he could feel heat on his face, sunlight. His whole body ached and he felt so tired…These feelings overwhelmed him, but he forced himself to roll over and get to his hands and knees. He stayed like that panting for a moment until he remembered what had happened. He glanced over and saw the blond woman in white sprawled in the sand. He got up and went over to crouched down beside her.

"Frost! Frost!" Her eyelids twitched and fluttered open and she slowly sat up holding her head. Logan held her shoulders lending support if she needed it. "Frost?"

She looked around at the coastline and the trees behind them. "Where are we?"

"I don't know." Logan stood and looked around for the first time. Emma stood and they studied the surrounding land and sea. There was a long silence as the two realized where they were. "Oh you've gotta be kidding me!" yelled Logan. "An island?"

"It would appear so," said Emma quite calmly.

Logan slapped his hand to his forehead and groaned. "Great! Just great! We're stuck on an island!"

Emma stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "So? I'm sure you've been in worse situations. It's not like we're under attack. The others will find us soon."

Logan glared at her. "You think I'm worried about being stranded on an island?"

"Well that's what it sounds like to me. I would have thought you could survive on an island all by yourself if you had to."

"That's the problem! I'm _not_ alone! _You're_ here!"

Emma scowled, her eyebrows raised. "Well don't think I'm too thrilled about being stuck with you either, but I won't be reduced to whining about it."

Logan's eyes grew even more outraged. "See, there you go!"

"What are you talking about, Logan?" she said rolling her eyes, already exasperated. "I haven't even done anything."

He growled as he always did when he was angry or frustrated. He turned away to keep his rising anger from overwhelming him. Finally he spoke calmly. "First thing's first: we need to find shelter and food."

"Already on it." When Logan turned, he saw Frost already a few yards away heading for the trees. Logan sighed and followed. He sure hoped they didn't have to spend any more than a night here. He just might commit suicide.

Within a few hours, they had searched the entire island, but they couldn't find any caves or shelters. So they had to settle on making a shelter. Logan cut down enough small trees to form a circular hut, and Emma used vines to tie large leaves together to make a roof and a door. They didn't talk much except for the occasional passing of directions. Logan was actually impressed that she knew how to do these things, like making a hut. Not that he'd ever admit to this. As far as he was concerned, her annoyance outweighed her admirable traits. He wasn't about to give her any credit.

When they had finished, Logan needed time alone, so he told Emma to stay at the hut while he went to find food. When he returned, he carried a few coconuts and three bushels of bananas. Emma had built a fire since it was growing dark. Logan placed the food inside the hut and brought out a coconut and two banana's for each of them. He broke the coconut and handed her half.

Logan was afraid to say anything. He knew it would only lead to an argument. So he followed the saying that kids often learned: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Emma, however, broke the silence.

"So how long do you think it will take the others to repair the jet and find us?"

Logan took a bite of a banana. He felt really awkward being alone with Emma, sitting at a campfire, eating coconut and bananas. "I don't know. Hopefully Forge will get on the job right away. If that happens, it might not take too long."

"I suppose it all depends on the damage. It took some big hits."

"Yeah, I know." Logan's ocean blue eyes turned to the sea, the light breeze playing with his hair. As much as he wished he would have had the better fortune to be stranded on this island with _anyone_ else, he was enjoying the quiet, the calm of the sea, the fresh air…But he never forgot about the outside world. A war between humans and mutants still raged, Senator Kelly at the head of it all. Worst of all, they had no way to communicate with the others. They didn't know where they were if they weren't back at the Institute. They didn't know if everyone was okay. And they didn't know how long they would be stuck on this island.

Logan stood and headed for the little hut. He wanted to be alone: to rest. He went inside and lay on one of the two beds of leaves. He stared up at the roof as orange light from the campfire seeped through the leaves and created shadows around him. Eventually he rolled over onto his side. He wasn't sure what was going on with him. He didn't feel like arguing with Frost, nor did he feel like doing anything he'd normally do, like walk around the island by himself or using trees for target practice. No, for some reason he felt completely worn out. All he wanted to do was sleep. And that's just what he did.

X-X-X

"Well this is boring," said Kitty.

"Yeah," said Bobby. "Only one fight and not even over anything good."

"It's only been one day," said Beast. "They'll be there for a while."

"Well, I'll be over here sleeping," said Bobby. "Wake me up when something interesting happens."

"Oh it will. Trust me," said Beast.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" said Ororo. "It…doesn't seem right."

"Aw, it'll be fine," said Forge. "When they wake up tomorrow, they're not going to know a thing."

A/N: Confused? Well it'll become clear in time. Lol There are a few clues as to what exactly is going on, but I don't think you'll figure it out right away. Yay! Bring on the torture! -Evil laugh-


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning when Logan awoke, he felt well rested. He rolled over onto his back peered up through a gap in the leaves above him and saw a patch of bright blue sky. He saw smoke and smelled wood burning. He sat up and looked to his left. Frost was not there.

When he pushed the leaves aside to head out into the bright sunlight, he saw her starting another fire. "It's about time you got you butt out here." Logan said nothing. "Why don't you go and catch us some fish."

"So now you're the one giving the orders?" Logan said gruffly.

"No. I just assumed it would be a lot easier if you caught the fish considering you have those claws."

"And let me guess, you don't want to ruin your clothes?"

"Exactly. But they'll probably be ruined anyway. The point is, you're probably a better fisherman than I am. So?"

"Fine." Logan walked to the shore and looked out at the sea. No jet. No way off this island. No way home. He sighed and waded into the water slowly and easily. Its warmth was comforting to him, soothing. But unfortunately the serenity of the moment would be over in a short time…

He stood in shallow water silently, patiently, waiting for the right opportunity. When the fish began to swim by, he did not strike right away. He let others come. Then, when the time was right, he pierced two with his claws. When he went back to Frost, he held out the fish to her a bit grudgingly. "Here."

Emma studied them for a moment, skeptical. "You really did a number on them. What were you trying to do, destroy them?"

"Hey, if you don't like 'em, go catch your own fish!"

She gave him an even look, then took the fish from him and tied them to sticks. "Are you always this grumpy in the morning, or is it just me?"

"You have to ask?" he said as he sat on a log far away from her.

"You know, we could do without the sarcasm."

"Yeah? Then shouldn't your mouth be shut?"

"I really don't see what your problem is, Logan. I haven't done a thing to agitate you since we arrived on this island. In fact, I've even given you your space. Or tried to anyway."

"Yeah, well…I guess it aint all your fault. I just wish I knew what happened with the Brotherhood."

"Hm. So do I." Emma placed the sticks that held the fish against the rocks around the fire so they could cook. "So, what's our first order of business going to be once we've eaten?"

Logan's eyes drifted to the sea again. "I don't know. There isn't much we can do. We have no way to contact the others. And I don't think it would be wise to try to catch the attention of anyone who happens to pass by."

"I agree. The ones most likely to pass us would be humans, which most hate us. And we wouldn't want anyone headed for Genosha to find us either considering we were right about Magnito all along. It would surely be disastrous if he found us-well, mainly you."

"Yeah. I just wish there something we could do."

"And without Cerebro, there isn't much _I_ can do."

The two sat in silence like they had the evening before. Logan was lost in thoughts, contemplating possible scenarios that might have played out after he and Emma had fallen from the jet. Did they get to land and have the jet repaired? Were they able to get back to the Institute? Did they even make it to land at all? And what became of the Brotherhood and that mutant boy they captured? Thousands of questions and not even one answer.

"I'm sure they're fine, Logan."

"Would you stop that? I didn't give you permission to barge into my thoughts! Stay out of 'em!"

"Sorry, but you're so hard to read. It's frustrating. Anyway, I didn't need my powers to know what you were thinking this time."

"Yeah, cause you know everything."

"More sarcasm?"

"You're not one to talk, so don't start!"

"Honestly, you are so touchy. Why don't you try to relax once in a while? We're on a beautiful island, out at sea, no stress, no worries. Think of it as a little vacation."

"Vacation? You call _this_ a vacation? Have you forgotten what's going on in the world already?"

"No. But there's no sense worrying about it. It won't help us get off this island any sooner, not to mention it will only make _some_ people more irritable…"

"Now you're just trying to get on my nerves."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Emma innocently.

"Right. And my name's really Chuck Norris."

"Funny. Actually, I wish you were Chuck Norris. This little excursion would be a lot more entertaining, not to mention lively."

"Sorry, but I aint about to run around like a moron trying to make up jokes that aren't even funny."

"Pft. You couldn't come up with a good joke if someone told it to you first."

"Who do I look like, Dane Cook?"

"Are you Chuck Norris or Dane Cook? Make up your mind."

"No, I'm Larry the Cable Guy!"

"Come on Logan, you and I both know your brain is smaller than that," she said with a smile.

"Grrrrrrr…You are the most maddening woman…"

Emma stood and walked past him slowly. "You really need to relax," she said as she stopped right behind him placing her hands on his shoulders.

"Bobby! Bobby, wake up!"

"Ow! Wha-what is it? What's going on?"

"Look," said Kitty. Bobby, Kitty and the others watched the screen intently. "Something's happening!"

"Like I said, we're out here, all alone, on a deserted island, the view is so…picturesque…" Emma's arms went around his neck, her mouth at his ear. "Wouldn't you agree…?"

"Here it comes!" said Bobby.

Logan pushed her away. "What the Hell are you doing? Get off me!"

"Oh relax, Logan," she sighed going back to her own log to sit. "It was only a joke. Besides, you aren't my type."

"Yeah, and you aint my type either. Do me a favor, and don't _ever_ do that again."

"Huh. Don't have to tell me twice."

"Aw come on!" shouted Bobby. "That was stupid! They didn't even do anything! Logan is such a stick in the mud!"

"Relax," said Kitty. "I'm sure it'll get better."

"Don't worry," said Ororo. "I have a plan for later."

"A plan?" said Bobby.

"Yes. And you will help me."

"Uh…ok…"

Logan stared at Emma as she took the fish from the sticks. Then he stood and turned toward the trees. "I'm going for a walk."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Maybe later," was all he said before he strode off.

X-X-X

Logan wandered around the island aimlessly. All he knew was that he wanted time alone-or at least time away from Frost. She wasn't that bad, he supposed, but she had a way of getting on a guy's nerves fairly easily. Either way, it felt nice to be out here by himself and enjoying the sunshine. Frost was right: they might as well enjoy it while they could. There was no use in worrying over the others when there was nothing either of them could do for them.

He walked until he found a cliff that overlooked the ocean and sat down under a tree at its edge. He watched the sea and the gulls flying overhead. A few fish jumped from the water on occasion and even a whale surfaced once. Logan had sat out there so long, he lay in the grass and fell asleep.

As he slept, a light pressure on his head woke him. Then something sharp poked his head. Then again. Then again. Slowly, Logan opened his eyes and came face to face with a colorful bird. It sat on the side of his head as he lay on his stomach beneath the tree, its head bent down to look into his eyes. The bird tilted its head and squawked.

Logan got to his hands and knees and the bird flew to a branch just above him. He stood and smiled at the bird. Logan had always loved nature. Animals were far easier to deal with than humans and other mutants. They harmed no one and always gave to the Earth. He held his hand up to the bird. It looked at him for a moment, turning its head first to one side, then the other. Then it flew down and landed on Logan's head again. It squawked.

"That aint a nest you know. That's my hair."

Squawk.

"Eh, alright. As long as you promise not to drop anything on me."

Squawk.

"That's a good birdy." Logan began to walk back to where he'd left Frost. Sure they were the only two on this island and he knew she could take care of herself, but he still hated to leave her alone for too long.

He was halfway there when the bird on his head gave another squawk. Logan stopped and looked up. The bird made lots of noise now-so much noise that Logan had to cover his ears. "Hey! Cut it out! Come on!"

He looked up again when he heard a chorus of squawks and chirps. Low and behold, there was a whole flock of them-and they were headed right towards him!

Before Logan could react, he was being swarmed with dozens of birds of all different kinds. "What the-? Ahhhh!!!! Get off me!!!!" They pecked at his head and fought with each other. They landed on his shoulders and his head, then others would come and take their places. Logan extended his claws and swung at them but, they only left him for a moment. Being unable to stop them, he ran as fast as he could back to the shoreline.

X-X-X

Emma lay on the beach in the nice, warm sand taking in the pureness of the sun. It felt wonderful to not have a care in the world, at least for a little while. She reveled in the beauty of the island, the birds chirping, the ocean's lullaby, the wind's subtle caress…And best of all, Logan was gone. He wasn't growling or snarling at her, barking orders, or taking away the serenity and peace that came with the setting. It was only her and the warmth of the sun on her skin…

She opened her eyes when she heard the birds' chirping growing louder and a familiar strained sound. She sat up, then stood when she saw Logan stumble from the trees. Curious, she walked over to him and looked him up and down. There were scratches all over him and his shirt was torn here and there, his brown coat showing some battle scars as well.

Emma crossed her arms as she studied him. "Do I _want_ to know what happened here?"

"Uh…Don't…ever…trust…birds," he panted.

She smiled and turned to the side. "Yes, and don't ever trust corn either."

Logan looked at her as if she were crazy. "What? What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You mean you've never seen that movie?"

"Frost, does it look like I have time to sit around watching movies?"

She seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't matter. Would you like me to take a look at those cuts for you?"

"Why? They'll just heal in a few minutes."

"You don't want an infection do you?"

"I've gotten much worse cuts than this before. I'm sure I can handle a few bird scratches."

"Still, I'd feel much better if I checked them."

"Who are you, my mother?"

She smiled a bit smugly. "Who else is going to take care of you?"

"I don't need anyone looking after me."

"Come on, Logan," she said taking his arm. "I've found a fresh water stream nearby."

He sighed, not really in the mood for a fight after running from evil birds, and followed her grudgingly like a child who didn't want a bath. When they arrived at the little stream, they sat on a log and Emma used a torn fragment of his shirt to wipe the blood from around the cuts. Logan sat there, annoyed. When she put the cool cloth to his face to clean the cut on his cheek, he growled in pain and jerked his head away.

"Ah, damn it! That hurt!"

"Oh come on, Logan. You've been thrown out of a plane, slammed against countless walls, hit with boulders and everything else, and a little cool rag on your skin is enough to make you cringe? Huh. Pathetic."

"It's not my fault it burns like Hell!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "You are such a big baby. Just hold still." He did what she asked and growled again when she dabbed at the little cut on his cheek. Emma smiled fondly and Logan gave her an odd look.

"What are you smiling at?"

"Oh nothing. It's just…You're like an overgrown puppy." Logan made a face, but she paid no attention. "You always play the big, bad dog, but you're really just a big softy."

"What?!? Listen lady, I-"

"Oh hush. You whine like a dog, too."

Logan opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut again when he saw the smile on her face as she continued to tend to his injuries. She was only messing with him. No need to get so defensive, he told himself. He turned his attention to the stream and the trees just behind it.

X-X-X

Later that day, Logan sat on the beach and Emma lay in the sun as she had earlier. She peered over and watched Logan for a while. He seemed so far away, she thought. Emma decided to find out what was wrong with him. She found that he was going back to his argument with Cyclops the other day and he regretted his remark about Jean. He was wondering if that would be the last time he would talk to Cyclops. He was worried about the others…

Logan wore on Emma's nerves just as she wore on his, but she knew Logan was a good person. He was a fierce enemy, but an extremely loyal friend. Emma felt his pain and regret. She tried to find a way to distract him.

Emma walked over to where Logan sat. "I have an idea that might get rid of the boredom I'm sure we're both sick of by now. Perhaps we could brush up on our fighting; spar a bit."

Logan looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "You want me to fight you?"

Emma crossed her arms. "What, you won't go head to head with me because I'm a woman? Is that it?"

"No. I don't want to hurt you."

"Oh don't worry, you won't even touch me."

He stood and studied her, a frown on his face. "You really want to test your abilities against mine?"

She smirked. "That's what I said, isn't it?"

He growled, frustrated and annoyed. Emma only smiled even more. "Fine," he said in a low voice. "Let's do this." Emma watched him walk past her and smiled. Then she followed and they stood about ten yards from each other.

Emma crossed her arms. "The first strike is yours, Logan."

"Hey Frost, don't expect me to go easy on you."

"By all means, don't hold back. Give it everything you've got."

He growled and extended his claws as he ran for her. Emma put her hand to her mouth as she yawned, Logan coming closer. When he reached her, he aimed his claws for her heart as if to kill. However she easily sent telekinetic energy surging his way, knocking him back a few yards. He landed on his back in the sand. He sat up and found she hadn't moved an inch. He jumped up and went for her again, but the same thing happened. So he tried again. And again. And again. Again Emma yawned.

"What the Hell???"

"Have you ever watched me fight?"

"No! You never do anything! You just stand there and no one comes after you!"

Emma raised her eyebrows. "You think maybe that's because they can't get to me?"

Logan stared at her, then slapped his forehead at the sheer idiocy of what he'd just said. Dah! It was so obvious! Had he already forgotten about Jean and Charles? They were telepaths just like Frost. But they didn't stand still. Charles would fight just as actively as the rest of them, and Jean always used her telekinesis. It had never dawned on Logan that Emma wouldn't have to move around so much in order to defend herself. All she had to do was put up a mental barrier. And he already knew she didn't like using her diamond form.

"You know Frost, that was a dirty little trick you just pulled."

"No it wasn't. Perhaps if you had merely paid attention during our fights, you would have known what you were up against." Logan growled. "Just think of it this way," said Emma. "Practicing against me will help you if you ever come in contact with a powerful telepath. You've never faced one on your own, have you?"

"Gr…You know, I don't think anyone could get on my nerves as much as you do, Frost."

She smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment. Someone's got to keep testing you, you know, make sure you can handle yourself."

Again, Logan growled. Then he retracted his claws and turned to walk away.

"Retreating are you? Hm…I would have thought Wolverine would be up for a challenge."

Logan stopped and turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "No. I just figured I'd better stop now before I do something I don't really want to do."

"Like what?"

"Like snap that pretty little neck of yours." He turned and walked away without another word.

X-X-X

The two of them sat around the fire once again after they'd eaten their dinner. Emma had made eggs and when Logan found out, he went on tangent about not stealing from the birds. Maybe he'd been wrong about nature…

"Is it just me, or is it getting cooler," said Emma.

"The wind is really starting to pick up, and it looks like there's going to be a storm," said Logan.

"Odd. I didn't think it was supposed to get cold on islands."

"It's not. Just look at the plants, the fruit trees. I'll bet this place has never seen a single day of cold weather."

"Well apparently Mother Nature wants to change all that." A stronger gust of wind blew and nearly put the fire out. There was no doubt about it; the temperature was definitely dropping. Emma clutched her cloak around her body, but it didn't do much to keep her warm. It was too thin. She hated the cold. Never liked it, probably never would. She stood and looked at Logan. "I think I'm going to take refuge from this terrible wind in the hut. Are you coming?"

"Nah, I'm used to the cold. It doesn't bother me." Just then, snow began to fall on the tiny little island. The two stared at the white specks falling from the sky in utter amazement and disbelief.

"Snow? That's impossible," said Emma.

"Yeah, well I've learned that most things are possible," said Logan. "You go on inside," he instructed. "Get yourself warmed up. I'm going to look for more food. It looks like this could get bad. I don't want to lose what little resources we might have."

Emma nodded once and headed for the little hut as Logan ventured into the trees. As Logan walked, he found it harder to go on. The wind was growing unbearably fierce and the snow was being blown back in his face. Within no time, there was a blanket of snow covering the entire island. He managed to find some oranges and bananas and a few more coconuts.

It was completely dark when Logan returned. When he entered the hut, he was as white as a ghost. He placed the food beneath the cover of some thick leaves to keep them from getting frozen. Then he stood back up and shook to get the snow form his hair and clothes.

"I…I don't understand why it's so cold," said Emma as she sat on her bed of leaves, her cloak wrapped tightly around her. "Let alone why it's snowing on this island."

"I wish I had some answers, but I'm just as clueless as you are. It doesn't make any sense."

"Well I'm going to try and get some sleep," said Emma. She lay down on her side and curled up into a ball facing away from Logan as he stood looking out at the blizzard.

When Logan looked back at her, his heart went out to the annoying, sarcastic, irritating woman. She really wasn't dressed for this kind of weather, nor was she used to conditions this cold like he was. But what could he do about it. There _was _nothing he could do. Unless…

Logan shook his head violently. No! No! He wouldn't! He'd rather jump off a cliff and into the MRD's custody! No!

But…he couldn't let the poor woman freeze to death…That wasn't right…Logan ran his hand down his face. He must be out of his mind!

Emma lay shivering her eyes shut as she tried to drive away the cold. Unfortunately, it wasn't doing any good. How on Earth was she supposed to get to sleep?

Her eyes flew open when she felt a warm pressure pressing down on top of her. Her eyes went up to see Logan laying over her.

"Logan, what are you doing!?"

"You want to get warm don't you?" he said in a low rumble.

"Is that relevant to what you're doing right now? Which…What exactly are you doing?"

"Trying to keep you warm, just like I said."

"Isn't there a better way to go about that?" she said a little disgusted.

"Do _you _see any blankets around here?" When she didn't respond, he knew he'd proved his point. "I didn't think so."

"I must say, this is more than a little…awkward…"

"Yeah, well don't think I enjoy it either. Now just be quiet and go to sleep." Logan lay his head on her hair and closed his eyes. This did feel really awkward. But there was nothing else he could do.

Emma was fighting the sensation of being trapped, especially when the man above her was Logan. He was a small man, but he was strong and powerful. He could easily kill someone if he wanted to. She wasn't scared of him-not at all. But his all too masculine presence above her felt strange.

However, despite this uncomfortable predicament, Emma couldn't help but take solace in his arms. His body enfolded her in a solid, protective warmth that she could only take comfort from. She wondered how it was possible for his skin to be so hot when it was so cold. One of his hands enfolded both of hers as they rested up by her head. She touched her face to his hand and closed her eyes. She was surprised at how quickly she'd gotten used to the feel of him. She told herself that it was only because he was so warm. It couldn't possibly be anything else. It was Logan after all.

It didn't take long before both were asleep…

X-X-X

"Awww…" said Kitty.

"I…wasn't expecting that," said Ororo. "But…I guess that works too. Thanks for the help, Iceman."

"Sure thing," said Bobby. "Man, Hank, this is the best idea you've ever had! This is better than when Jake and Crystal from _True Romance_ finally got together and had a baby. Though I felt really bad for Thomas. Poor guy never had a chance…"

The others looked at him as if he were insane. "You watch soap operas?" said Kitty stunned.

Bobby just realized what he'd said and flushed scarlet. "No…I mean…I've seen a few episodes when I was flipping through the channels…"

The others just stared at him. "…Yeah…I don't want to know," said Kitty.

"What are you guys doing down here this late?"

"Oh, hey Rogue," said Kitty.

"We're uh…just…Well, take a look for yourself," said Beast. They all moved aside to let Rogue see the screen.

"Is that…Logan…?" she quarried, her eyes huge, her mouth agape.

"The one and only!" said Bobby.

"What…What's going on here?" said Rogue. She was definitely more than a little confused.

"Well," said Forge. "I was working on an invention to project a desired image into the mind of another."

"Yeah," said Bobby. "So we put one of those collar things on Logan, and one on Emma and we're making them have this weird dream, thing!"

Rogue was still confused. "Hold up; you're manipulating their minds and…watching it?"

"Yep. Brilliant huh?" said Beast.

"Are you guys out of your minds?" The others looked guilty and a little ashamed at this. "If you were going to do something like this, why wasn't _I _invited to watch?"

"Oh…uh…" stammered Beast. "Well, you're here now."

"Yeah, sit back and enjoy the show," said Bobby.

Rogue smiled and took a seat. "I'd love to. This sounds interesting."

A/N: lol Weird, I know. But so funny. Just to clarify something: after Logan was attacked by the birds, Emma made the comment about corn. Well, I was referring to the movies _Birds_ and _Children of the Corn._ I love those movies! And don't ask about the whole Chuck Norris and other comedians. I have no clue why I put it in there. I still have no idea who Chuck Norris is. All I know is that everyone talks about him. So yeah. Random, I know. But that's me!

Chazz: EMMA!!!

Emma: Oh, not again…

Logan attacks Chazz. Me and Sartorius sigh. You hear Chazz getting beat up in the background.

Me: Will Princeton ever learn.

Sar: Probably not…Logan might have to kill him first…

Me: We shall miss Chazz…He was a good guy…

P.S. Chazz and Sartorius are from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. …………Told ya I was random…lol 


	3. Chapter 3

As Emma slowly eased back to consciousness, she only vaguely knew where she was. Her nose felt cold, but all around her, she felt solid heat, as if a heavy blanket covered her entire body. Then she began to realize that it wasn't a blanket; it was a man. She snuggled into the warmth, savoring it, never wanting to leave it. Her eyes came open only a fraction and she could see a great paw covering her own hands. It didn't matter to her who it belonged to; all she knew was that she liked the feelings it stirred within her. Her eyes closed again and she pressed her lips to his skin. She never wanted to leave this moment…

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty, I know you're awake. And there's no way I'm gonna be your blanket all day."

When the warmth moved away from her with the sound of the voice, Emma shivered and slowly sat up rubbing her eyes. Already her previous thoughts had been lost to the dream world she'd just stepped from. "You couldn't be nice to me just once and let me sleep?"

"Nope. Besides, that was way more intimate than I'd have liked, and I'm pretty sure you felt the same way I did. Or at least I hope so."

Emma thought back to last night and what she'd been thinking before she'd drifted off. What the Hell was wrong with her? She'd actually thought that? Comfort? From Logan? Ha! That would be the day. "On second thought, you're exactly right. That was too awkward. Let's agree to never speak of this again."

"I'm with you on that one." Logan turned to head out of the hut. "You stay here; I'll just be a minute." Emma said nothing as he walked out into the snow.

Logan looked around at the island. Snow still covered everything in a thick, white blanket. But the ocean…it looked… like it wasn't frozen at all. It's surface still danced and shimmered in the sunlight. He went to the water's edge and sure enough, it still moved. He bend down and placed his hand down beneath the sparkling surface and the water was warm. His brow furrowed as he stood and went back to the hut.

Emma immediately registered the odd expression on his face. "What's the matter, Logan?"

"Something's weird about this island. Everything is covered in snow, but the water isn't frozen at all. It's still as warm as it was yesterday afternoon."

"Are you sure."

"Yeah. Take a look."

Emma stood and walked over to where Logan stood to look out at the ocean. Just like he'd said, the water wasn't frozen at all. But it sure was cold. A chilling breeze blew back at them and Emma brought her cloak around her again and shivered. "But…How is that possible…?"

"I don't know. But I'm not liking it." Logan strode back into the hut and began to uncover the food he'd saved last night. Emma stood looking out at the sea. It was so cold. If the water was that warm…

When Logan turned to ask her a question, she was already headed outside. "Frost? Frost?" He stood and walked to the door and pushed the leaves aside again. "Frost, where are you going?" She didn't answer as she made her way to the shoreline. "Frost!" Logan ran after her then. He reached the water just after she did. "What are you thinking?"

She gave no answer. She merely stared down at the shimmering surface of the ocean with distant eyes. Then, slowly, she waded into the water. Logan grabbed her arm, but released it when he saw she wasn't going to stop. He watched as she walked out into deeper water. Now it was at her waist and she stood there taking immense pleasure in its warmth. Again, she looked down at the water. As Logan watched her, he realized there was something off about her. Something wasn't right…But what?

Suddenly she dove into deeper water and Logan became worried. He threw off his coat and jumped in after her. But when he opened his eyes, he was hit with the strangest sensation…He saw Emma farther away swimming just beneath the surface. Her hair and skin sparkled as the light from the sun penetrated the surface of the ocean and hit her, making her look like an angel. Her eyes turned to him, sensing he was there, but her face gave nothing away; neither smugness, amusement, contentment, nothing.

She swan away in the next instant, her cloak flowing in the water behind her blocking his view of her hair and face. Logan snapped out of his…whatever you want to call it. Hell, he didn't even know what that was all about. For a moment it felt like…he was attracted to Emma…But that was impossible. He'd rather go to Hell first!

Logan resurfaced in the next instant to catch his breath. However he found he wasn't cold like he'd thought. The air was warm. The gulls flew above the water once again. He looked back at the island and the snow was completely gone. Not a speck was left, and the trees bore no ice at all. He turned just in time to see Emma come up for air and her hair blew around her face in the now warm breeze. He ignored the odd sensation that was beginning in his groin. "Hey Frost!"

Emma turned to him, her eyes shinning. "What is it?"

"Just look at the island," he said turning to guide her eyes. She swan up beside him and stared at the unbelievable site before them. No snow. No ice. No cold wind. The island was back to normal.

"I don't understand," said Emma. "Only a moment ago, it felt like we were in Antarctica."

"I don't know what's going on here, but I'm going to find out," said Logan.

"Uh, guys," said Bobby. "Do you think they're going to catch on? I mean, Logan's usually mad, but think of how angry he's going to be if he finds out we're the ones responsible for all this. And even Emma won't be happy."

"Come to think of it, he's right," said Kitty. "What if they find out what we're doing?"

"They won't," said Beast. "If they have any hunch at all, it will be wiped clean when they wake up. They won't even remember any of this."

"You're sure?" asked Bobby.

"Positive," said Forge.

"You'd better be right," said Rogue. "Logan would skin us all. And I think Emma would be with him on that."

The two of them made their way back to the shore and stood in the warm sunlight. Emma lay down in the sand feeling like she was in heaven after the bitter cold. Neither of them could comprehend what was happening with this strange little island. Logan sat beside her and stared out at the ocean not really seeing it.

He didn't understand. How in the world could the weather on a tropical island change from hot and humid to freezing and snowy, then back in an instant? No place on Earth could have weather as unpredictable and as sudden as that.

"Would you stop worrying, Logan? So the island has strange weather patterns. At least the snow is gone."

"You ever think maybe this was a trap, Frost? Maybe the Brotherhood was hoping to strand all the X-Men on this island. Maybe they were planning to-"

Emma sat up. "To what, give us all colds? Other than the weather, nothing strange or life-threatening has happened. Besides, if all of the X-Men were stranded on this island, Storm could fly out of here, and Iceman could make a strip of ice across the ocean for the others. I mean, be realistic, Logan. Stranding us on an island would have to be the most inefficient way to get rid of us."

"Maybe they were hoping to drown us."

"The same scenario would play out. Storm would be able to fly and Bobby could get the rest of us to safety. Pushing us out of that jet was just a way for the Brotherhood to buy themselves some time."

"Time for what? That's what I want to know. Who was that kid they took. What happened to him? What happened to the others? Was this one of Magnito's schemes? Are the rest of the X-Men even still alive? Come on, Frost, you can't tell me you aint worrying about these things too."

"Of course I worry about those things. But it's like I said, Logan, there's nothing we can do at this point. We're stuck here. It's not like we can help them."

Logan closed his eyes and sighed. "Yeah…It looks like I failed."

"Failed? What do you mean?" Emma asked curiously. How had he failed?

"I promised Charles that I'd lead the X-Men. But here I am, stuck on this island with no way to help them, no way to know if they're even alive."

Emma's eyes turned sympathetic. When it came to responsibility and duty, Logan was one who'd never let down those he made promises to. He always tried his best to do right by others, just as Charles Xavier had taught him. And when Logan made a promise to Xavier…that made the responsibilities he took upon himself that much more important, especially when it came to the X-Men and doing what was right by the team as well as the rest of the world. Logan might not know it, but Emma felt his pain. She understood what he was feeling, his guilt, his shame, his loss. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You haven't failed them, Logan. It's not your fault we were stranded out here. And I'm sure the others are fine. You're gone an awful lot and they can take care of themselves when you aren't there. I know they are okay. I am positive of this."

Logan's eyes slid to hers and they were filled with gratitude that he was unable to admit to. "Thanks Frost. I appreciate it."

She smiled back at him. "I told you before, Logan; you can always come to me for help if you find you ever need it. Xavier isn't your only option."

"Yeah, but I feel a lot better-and calmer-talking to Charles. You and I fight like cats and dogs." The corners of his lips curved upwards as he said this.

"True, we have more than our share of differences, but when the time comes when we need one another, we pull through and we make a pretty good team."

Logan took a deep breath. "I know I don't give you enough credit, Frost, but you have been a lot of help these past few months. Without you, I don't know where we'd be right now. And…as much I hate to admit it-and I mean I _really_ hate to admit it…," he turned his face away from her. "…I guess…maybe…it's possible…your spot on the team is worth the Hell you put me through day in and day out."

She smiled, but he didn't look back at her. "I suppose that's the highest compliment I'll ever receive from you isn't it?"

He turned back to her and smiled. "Probably."

A few more days passed and Logan and Emma's battles became less and less. They were growing used to living together and respecting one another. Emma gave Logan his space and in return, he would suppress his temper when around her. Though he found she didn't seem to annoy him as much as time went on. They took turns preparing meals, they swam and enjoyed the sunshine, they took walks together and talked as if they were actually friends. They even trained together.

Logan ran at her full speed, his claws extended. He knew she'd try to hit him with telekinetic energy, so he had to think fast. He would zip from side to side, varying the lengths of the forward sprints. When she sent a blast of energy his way, he was growing increasingly able to sense it and dodge it. He did this while still coming towards her and was able to get close enough to strike. When he tried, she shot energy at him, but he thought fast and jumped to the left.

Emma was surprised when he made to strike her. Just in time, however, she transformed into diamond which made her untouchable. Then, just as quickly, she brought her right leg up to kick him and send him sprawling backwards.

"Nice try, Logan. But unfortunately for you, it wasn't good enough," said Emma with a smirk as she reverted back to normal.

Logan jumped to his feet and growled. He came at her again, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get to her that way. He leapt up into the trees then and jumped silently from one to another out Emma's sight. Emma closed her eyes and placed her fingers to her temples as she tried to locate him. _There!_ She spun just as he flew out of the cover of the trees, his claws pointed right at her. She let another blast of energy fly but Logan put up his claws. The blast hit the metal and deflected it. Emma gasped as he retracted his claws and landed a blow to her chest sending her crashing against a tree and falling to the ground.

Logan landed on all fours. Then he stood and smirked as Emma began to lift her head from the grass. "Looks like I got you that time, Frost."

Emma looked up at him her face indifferent. Then she raised one eyebrow and smiled. "Don't think you'll be so lucky next time. The same trick won't work on me twice."

Logan walked over to her. "Then I guess I'll have to figure out a new strategy, huh?" He reached out a hand to help her up. She took it reluctantly.

"I told you this would help you, didn't I?"

"Yeah. Guess you were right. I would have got you, too, if it wasn't for your little ability to become as indestructible as I am."

"Keep practicing. You'll get it. Maybe." Emma turned then and walked away from him.

Later that afternoon, Emma had just returned from a stroll in the woods. When she reached the edge of the trees, she looked up to see Logan sitting on a bulky branch high above her. He leaned against the trunk as he rested. When Logan opened his eyes, he sensed her presence and looked down at her.

"Are you quite comfortable up there, Wolverine?"

"You could say that." When Logan saw the odd look she was giving him, he narrowed his eyes. "What?'

"You know, you seem more cat-like all the time to me."

"Cat-like? I don't think so. I don't even like cats."

"Why not?"

"Just never got along with 'em. Hm. Maybe that's why we never get along."

"What are you talking about? We haven't gotten into an actual fight in three days."

Logan smiled. "Watch out, Frost. You don't want to jinx it."

Emma smiled with her eyes as much as her lips. She didn't know why, but she was beginning to find Logan rather charming. Sure, he was a pain to work with, to take orders from because he was so demanding, but without all of the stress of the outside world pressing upon him, he was less temperamental and easier to get along with. She could tell he was actually enjoying himself. And when he smiled these past few days, she could tell it was genuine. And also, as much as she _hated_ to admit it, he had the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. With everything that had happened since she joined the X-Men, she'd never seen his eyes sparkle so much.

Wait…what was she thinking? Logan? Charming? Beautiful eyes? AH! She could shoot herself! Suddenly she scowled and headed for the beach.

Logan watched her go and wondered what that was all about. Then he though, who cares. Whatever it was, it wasn't any of his business. And chances were, he didn't really want to know anyway.

The next day, Logan lay on his stomach on the beach sleeping. Perhaps he was cat-like after all with the way he lounged around in the sun all day. He had taken his shirt off to feel the warmth of the sun on his bare skin as the light breeze played in his hair. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this relaxed, if he'd _ever_ felt relaxed.

Emma stood just inside the little hut as she watched him. She was still wrestling with herself. On one hand, she still didn't like Logan. He was a big, pushy brute who annoyed her to no end. But on the other, she was growing quite fond of him. And he seemed so cute and harmless when he was asleep.

Yeah, cute and harmless. Just like an evil puppy. He was _not_ cute and he was definitely _not_ harmless.

But still, an unknown force compelled her to go to him. When she reached his side, she sat down facing the ocean and watched it for a while. Then her eyes slid to Logan's sleeping form, his head lying on his folded arms. She studied him as he lay there and her eyes roamed his broad, muscular back.

Many scars marked him, signs, she knew, that told of bravery, courage, sorrow, and regret. She remembered reading his mind and seeing what few memories he had left of his past. His days as a mercenary for Weapon X, his lost companions, his last mission while working for them. She felt for him, just as she felt for Scott. Just as she felt for Rogue. She wished she could help him, help all of them, but she couldn't.

For some odd reason, she wanted to touch him, to feel his skin. Slowly, she removed her long, white gloves and placed one hand on his back.

He was warm and his muscles were unusually relaxed. She ran her hand along his skin, to his lower back, then up to his shoulder blades. She felt his back raise beneath her palm. What was he thinking? She closed her eyes and placed her hand on his head.

Logan was enjoying the sensations her hand was creating. He didn't know it was her, he envisioned no one. He only felt the softness of the caress and reveled in the feel of a woman's touch.

Emma smiled to herself. Who knew she could please him so well without even trying? She decided to see what she could do to further his reaction. She turned to face his side and placed both hands on his back. Again she ran her hands along his back, massaging his muscles. He growled and raised his shoulders at the pleasure of her touch. This was certainly entertaining, thought Emma. What else could she do?

"Um…What…is she doing?" said Kitty.

"I…don't know…" said Beast.

"Sweet! This is what we've been waiting for!" said Bobby.

"Uh…I never signed up to watch…Oh who cares? This is interesting!" said Rogue.

Emma leaned over Logan and put her mouth at his ear as she continued to rub his back and sides. He growled more and shuttered beneath her. She took his ear between her lips and nibbled at it a bit. Emma felt him go tense and her lips curved upward. She stroked his hair and kissed his cheek, teasing him while he slept.

"You know," said Bobby. "Logan gets all the luck." Kitty glared at him and he decided that he should shut up now.

Emma was thoroughly enjoying herself now. She was still reading Logan's mind to know exactly what she was doing to him. And she reveled in the satisfaction.

But something quite unexpected happened, something none of them could have predicted. Logan, still asleep, grabbed her arms and pulled her to the ground, moving over top of her with a growl. Emma was so startled she was barely able to form a thought. Next thing she knew, his mouth was on hers, kissing her with a fervor she'd never imagined. But then…she didn't care. All she knew was that she wanted more. He tasted wonderful-she never would have imagined that he'd taste this good.

Her arms wound around his neck to hold him closer-if that was possible-and her lips roamed his in search for more heat, more passion.

The others gasped. "Logan is…He's…" Kitty couldn't even finish her sentence. Bobby's eyes grew wide. Yeah, he was hoping for something, but he wasn't expecting that little twist.

"Is he…asleep…?" asked Bobby.

"It would appear so," said Beast.

"Incredible…" breathed Ororo.

"Yeah, who knew?" said Forge.

"Okay," said Kitty. "I think we've seen enough."

"I would agree with you," said Rogue. "But I don't really care. This is good blackmail for later." She smiled to herself as she thought of this.

"Hm, good point," said Beast. "Let's keep watching."

"Yeah. I wasn't going to stop watching it anyway," said Bobby. "It's just getting good."

Emma moaned as Logan kissed her feverishly. Who knew Logan could satisfy so well…? She was so lost to his kiss, his touch, his caress, that she stopped reading his mind. Suddenly it didn't matter anymore. She wanted him…awake…

His lips moved to her neck and she sighed in pure pleasure. "Logan…oh…Logan…" His mouth ventured down to her chest and suddenly she couldn't think. This was all so disorienting, but in the most beautiful way…He moved back up to her neck and her ear. "Oh Logan…" She pushed down on his back wanting him closer-much closer…

"Jean…"

"Did…he just say what I think he said…?" asked Bobby.

"I think he did…" said Rogue worried now.

Emma's eyes flew open. Jean…? Of course…He _would_ think of her…Suddenly she became outraged. Her face turned angry and her hands flew up to her temples.

With a blast of psychic energy, Logan went flying backwards with a startled howl and landed in the sand on his back a few yards away from her. Emma stood and glared at him.

Logan sat up and rubbed his head. "What the Hell?" He turned and saw Emma, then he scowled. "Frost! What was that for!?" She gave no reply. He stood and began walking toward her. "Frost, answer me-AH!" Again, she hit him with a psychic blast sending him sprawling back to the ground.

When he lifted his head again, Emma glowered at him, then turned to head into the forest. "Frost! Get back here! Frost!" Within moment's she was gone. Logan stood and rubbed his head again. What was that all about? She just attacked him out of the blue with no justification! He had only been sleeping for cryin out loud!

X-X-X

Logan had paced the beach for an hour now, waiting for Emma to return. She hadn't. He sighed to himself. Why was she so upset? Why had she attacked him and ran off? He hadn't done anything!

But he supposed he should go and find her. Why did he have to let her on the team in the first place? The only thing she was good for was causing more trouble for him.

So off he went to find the troublesome telepath with the bad temper. He wandered through the trees, following Emma's scent-a scent that was becoming too familiar to him. He found that he could smell her all the time. It was annoying, yet…he supposed it wasn't. She had a unique scent that was…compelling-a sweet fragrance that flowed through him like an intoxicating mist…And it drove him crazy! The fact that she could do that to him made him angry at both her and himself. That shouldn't be possible. It shouldn't even be legal!

When he finally found her, she was at the edge of the woods on the opposite shoreline standing against a tree, her arms crossed.

"Frost…What's going on? Why are you mad at me?"

She turned her angry eyes on him. "The reason you don't know is exactly why."

Logan glared at her. "Now you sound like Rogue. That's exactly what she said to me before…"

"I know. Which is exactly why I said it."

"Oh, to spite me? Is that it?"

"Believe me, you deserve a lot more than spite."

Logan growled. "Frost! I don't know what game you're trying to play here, but I'm sick of it! I was asleep, and the next thing I know, I'm being blasted with psychic energy! And for what? Tell me, Frost, cause I have no idea!"

"You mean you don't remember?"

"Remember what!? I'm not the telepath here, you are! You tell me!"

In the next instant, her mouth was on his as she kissed him passionately, her hands running along his back. Logan was so stunned he couldn't even push her away…But he didn't want to…God, who knew she was such a good kisser? But then something struck him. It was…familiar…the kiss, the touch…

His eyes widened. When she pulled away, he stared at her in complete shock. "It…it was you…" No other words escaped his lips. He was speechless. Then he realized what he'd been dreaming about when he'd felt those sensations the first time…Jean.

"You remember _that_, Logan?" she said with pure bitterness and hurt.

It took a few moments, but finally Logan was able to speak. He composed his features and frowned, irritated. "Frost, how the Hell was I supposed to know? Huh? From what _I _remember, neither one of us confessed to having feelings for the other! And I sure as Hell don't remember giving you permission to mess with my head when I'm asleep!"

"It still hurt, Logan."

"Yeah, well that's your fault! You did it, not me! And what about Scott, huh? Aren't you supposed to be in love with him?"

Emma's eyes widened. Then she glared at him. "No. I'm not. But either way, it doesn't matter. You're both obsessed with Jean."

Logan growled and Emma turned and walked away. "Frost! Frost!" But she didn't listen. She was already gone.

A/N: Geeze, I finally was able to watch all of the episodes online. I'm happy, yet sad. Why did Emma have to die? That's not fair! She was my favorite! T-T Anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter. Keep reading and please R and R.


	4. Chapter 4

Logan wandered around the island until twilight before he decided to head back. When he returned, it was dark and Emma had just put out the fire. She turned and headed into the hut without a glance in his direction as he stood at the edge of the trees. Logan wasn't about to confront her. It was clear that neither felt the need or desire to talk. And there was no way he was going to stay in the hut with her after what happened earlier.

So he turned to his left and climbed up into the tree he'd been in the day before to sleep. He didn't mind really. It was actually comfortable to him. As he sat on the branch, he looked out at the sky and wondered where the Hell everybody was. He was sick of this place, he was sick of Emma, and he wanted off this godforsaken island!

X-X-X

When Logan opened his eyes in the morning, the first thing he saw was Emma standing beside the ocean, her vanilla colored hair flowing in the wind. Logan's nose caught the scent of it and a thrilling chill ran down his spine. He damned it. Why-how could he have that reaction to her? It was absolute madness! But a beautiful madness…No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't deny this. He might curse it in his mind, but the truth was that he welcomed the sweet sensations she gave him even though he knew it was wrong-knew it should never be so.

So he watched her as she shed her cloak and dipped down into the water. He watched as she swam unaware of his presence, or unaware that he had awoken. Emma seemed at peace, not as troubled as she had been the day before. But Logan knew that once she saw him, her anger would mount again and so would his own. For now, however, he would enjoy the beautiful morning and the unknown seductress White Queen bathing in the warm, sparkling waters of the sea.

As he did so, Logan found that the pain in his groin began to return. He knew he shouldn't want her, he knew it was crazy, especially after all their arguing, all the distrust between them, all the aggravation, but it was impossible to dispel the desires she cultivated within him. He called back the memory of her kiss, the feel of her arms around him, stroking him, and it made him ache for her even more.

It had to be the result of being stranded on this island. There was no other explanation for it. He was trapped on this island, nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to save. But there was a beautiful, temptress of a woman alone with him on this island. How long could he stave the desire to take her? What would it take for his subconscious needs to overtake him and make him do something he knew he shouldn't?

No. To Hell with it all! He wouldn't! He would rather be shot dead right now by Magnito, the MRD, the Sentinals for God's sake before he laid a hand on her willingly. This was sheer madness. He wouldn't have such a hard time with this if it was any woman _besides_ Emma G. Frost, The White Queen, former member of the Hellfire Club. She was bad news for one, he didn't trust her for another, and she was obviously taking an unhealthy interest in Scott Summers.

And why? He asked himself this. Why? Why Scott? The boy never left his room until a mission, and even then he was pretty unwilling to cooperate. He was obsessed with Jean, couldn't get her off his mind even if the boy scout wanted to. Why Summers? Logan just couldn't understand.

Logan wasn't jealous of Scott…at least not until now. Now he'd like to kill Summers. Why he didn't know. But it annoyed him all the same. He'd seen Scott and Emma at the cliffs that day while they took a trip down memory lane. He had wondered what they were doing, but he hadn't really cared. Now, thinking of the way she'd touched him, comforted him…he'd like to take his claws to everything in sight at the memory.

Logan decided he should leave, especially before Frost caught sight of him watching her. That and these strange desires and urges were starting to gnaw at him too much. If he wasn't careful, he could very well kiss his life goodbye. So he leapt from the tree and headed inland a ways, then turned to head for another shore to make camp.

Three days. Three days, neither spoke to the other. They would see each other on occasion, but would only pause for a moment to exchange glares before returning to their own agendas. Not that either of them had an agenda.

The whole time they were apart though, they were miserable and more irritable. Emma was still furious with Logan after he'd cooed Jean's name in her ear while she had been the one beneath him. Yes, he'd been asleep and she'd known it, but she was still hurting inside. But the worst part was she didn't know why. Last time she checked, she and Logan were on a strictly 'get along because we have to, when we have to' basis. And she'd always been fine with that. She'd never cared much for him because of his attitude, moodiness, his commanding, demanding reign over the X-Men-well at least over her. He was no more than a bully as far as she was concerned. No, he wasn't a bad person, but the fact was, the two of them hadn't gotten along since she joined the team, and they probably never would. So why did that little incident bother her so much?

Logan was so grumpy and irritated, he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't do anything. He fought against the trees to unleash his anger, but it helped not one bit. He was still angry and annoyed and…and…Argh, he could just scream! He normally felt the best when he was alone. When he would take his bike and ride for hours, with no one to bother him, nothing to think about except the speed, the wind in his face, the freedom. Now…now he didn't have the luxury of the bike to take him to some far off place where there were no worries. No. Instead he was stranded on this desolate island, the only company being the saucy, arrogant, haughty woman that aggravated him more than anything else could.

And the worst part was that he wanted her. That's why he was in such a sour mood. He was fighting the overpowering desire to find her and…tell her what he wanted from her. While he'd watched her swim the other morning, images had come to him-images that he wished so desperately he could dispel. Images that he shouldn't have been envisioning. Things he wanted to do to her…but he knew he couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't! Damn her for being so…so appealing, so tempting. Even when he couldn't see her, he could still smell her. He knew she was still on the island-the only other person on this island. They were alone, no one would ever know…

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Logan sliced a tree in half. What was wrong with him? Why was he feeling these desires? It didn't make any sense! It was Frost! Emma Frost! Not Jean, not…any other woman! It was Emma Frost! IT WAS MADNESS!!!

But the fact was, he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand not seeing her, not being around her. He had to face her, had to confront her. They had to straighten out this feud. It was a misunderstanding, that was all. Emma had known Logan was asleep when she'd kissed him. And if he had been awake, he wouldn't have whispered Jean's name. Hell, if he'd been awake, that little incident wouldn't have ever happened. But he couldn't stand not being in her company. This rift between them had to be mended, whether he wanted to apologize or not.

It was dark when Logan emerged from the trees beside the hut. The fire was still burning and Emma stood at the edge of the ocean, her back to him. A bit reluctantly, he made his way over to her. "Frost."

Emma only turned her head a fraction; just enough to see him over her shoulder. But she said nothing.

"Frost…I'm sorry." There was a long silence. Emma still was not going to speak. "Look," he growled already growing frustrated with her. "You knew I was asleep. You knew it as sure as you know everything else. So that's your fault. And…I really hate to say this-and I mean I _really_ hate to say this-but I'm sorry, Frost. I didn't mean to hurt you, ok? If I had been conscious, I wouldn't have said that. If I would have been conscious, this whole thing could have been avoided."

Emma just looked at him for a moment. Then she looked down and seemed to study the low water at the shoreline. After a moment or two, she turned to Logan, her eyes showing little or no emotion. "I suppose you're right. It is my fault. But that doesn't change the fact that it stung. And as much as _I_ hate to admit it, I was wrong. Now…I guess I'm just ashamed that you were bigger than I when it came to admitting our mistakes."

Logan didn't say anything for a time. The pain in his groin was growing extremely hard to bear. He thought that if he went back to her, saw her, that it would suppress the desires he was trying so hard to control. But, of course, it wasn't working. Seeing her, smelling her only made him want her even more.

"Frost…" he said in a strained voice.

Emma looked at him curiously. "What is it, Logan?"

His hands were in fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as he tried to quell the sensations overwhelming him at that moment. No. He couldn't, he wouldn't! He'd sworn he wouldn't!

It was useless to fight though. The rest of the X-Men gasped. In the next instant, Logan's arms were around Emma's thin, feminine body and his mouth ravished hers like a hungry, wild animal. It felt so good…So perfect…So right…Emma's arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer. What was happening to her? What was this unknown force that compelled her to give this man everything he wanted? Everything _she_ wanted?

"Frost…" he growled against her neck, his hands running up and down her body. Emma's eyes drifted closed and she inhaled deeply with a shuttering sigh. This felt much different from what she'd experienced the other day. He was awake now, fully capable of realizing his true desire, his true potential…

And he wasn't thinking about Jean…He was thinking about her. She moaned as she thought of this. Yes, it was madness alright, but even so, she enjoyed every minute of it. His hot passion and need lit her own fire and suddenly she couldn't get enough of him.

She ran her hands down his chest, still sighing with pleasure. Finally she reached where she wanted to be…

When Logan felt her hand on his pants, he froze. "Frost…I wouldn't do that…"

Emma, too, had stopped. "Why not…?"

"I…I don't think that's a good idea…" he said slowly pushing her away. Yes, he wanted it, wanted it so badly, but he knew it was wrong.

"Why not? We're alone on this island, Logan. No one is ever going to know…Why not, just once…try it…" her hands were on his chest again and she could feel his heart thumping beneath her palm.

Logan's eyes grew hard a bit. "Frost…Do you really think we should? Do we really want to start something?"

It was silent as Emma read his mind. "I know what you're thinking, Logan. I'm not usually like that either. But it's clear that if we keep ignoring these desires, we'll just be fighting with each other for no reason at all until we're rescued or we're satisfied. Why put ourselves through all that pain and aggravation? Why not just do it?"

Her hand traveled downward again, but Logan grabbed it. He stared into her eyes with a mixture of emotions. Anger, lust, bitterness, desire, confusion. He ground his teeth together as he fought with himself. Emma only looked back at him with an even, understanding expression. She knew what she wanted-what they both wanted-but it was up to him to make the decision.

"I really hate you, Frost," he growled before his mouth returned to hers with an even greater passion and fervor than before.

"I know you do…" Emma crooned as Logan pressed her closer against his warm, hard body. With a fast ease, he unfastened her cloak and it fluttered to the ground in the gentile breeze. Then his hands went to her waist and moved upward beneath her top-

Zzzuuuuuppppp.

"What the heck!?" Bobby exclaimed as he was suddenly ripped away from the wonderful show before them.

"Hey, what gives?" said Kitty.

"Yeah," said Rogue. "Who turned off the show?"

"I did," said Beast.

"What!?" shouted Forge. "But-Why!?!?"

"I…don't think any of us really _need_ to see that."

"What? Are you kidding me?" yelled Bobby. "Dude isn't that the whole point of doing this???"

"Yeah, Hank, turn it back on," commanded Rogue.

"Come on guys, it's bad enough we're spying on them…well, sort of…We could at least give them some privacy."

"Excuse me!?!?" exclaimed Bobby. "'Bad enough'? Wasn't this _your_ idea?"

"He's right," said Ororo.

"Well…yes, but-"

"It was your idea," said Kitty. "So quit trying to act all noble _now_."

Beast scratched the back of his head nervously. "Look…guys…let's just calm down. I mean, do you really want to see-"

"YES!!!"

Beast blinked a few times. Then he composed his features. "Well, I'm sorry, but, I can't do that."

"WHAT!?!?"

"Come on, Hank!" yelled Bobby. "Turn it back on NOW before I freeze you to death!"

"Yeah, don't make me hurt you, Hank," threatened Rogue. They were all glaring at him now and he backed up a few steps.

"Ok, take it easy now," said Beast putting his hands up defensively. "If that's what you really want…then…I guess I have no choice…" Slowly he turned and hit the button to turn the screen on again. They all groaned.

"Aw man," whined Bobby. "We missed it!"

Logan and Emma were now fully clothed again and sat together on a log by the fire. Neither one seemed tense anymore, and Logan even seemed tired. Emma's head rested on his shoulder and his left arm was around her, holding her close to him.

Rogue slowly and deliberately turned to Beast with a deadly expression in her eyes. "Haaaaank…"

Beast's eyes widened. He was going to get it now…

"I can't believe you made us miss it!" yelled Kitty.

Bobby put a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to look at him. He was smiling. "Don't worry, you know Hank is taping this. Later we can steal the tape and watch it."

Kitty seemed to think a minute. "Hm…yeah, you're right. Good thinking, Bobby…for once."

"Thanks Kitty…Hey!"

Emma ran her hand along Logan's leg as they sat beside the fire. She felt worn out now, hardly able to speak. Then again, she wasn't real sure what to say. What had they just done? What chaos would this create? For some reason, the answers weren't that important to Emma. She felt wonderful, complete, like a great stress had just been lifted. She'd never imagined that Logan could have such an impact on her. Nor did she believe that he was such a capable lover. But he had been, and now she feared she was addicted to him.

It was impossible not to be. Logan had taken her to heights she'd never thought he could. And despite his strength, he was extremely gentle. Emma had had to entice him into going further than just a lover's gentile caress. And when he'd fulfilled her desires, she'd could do nothing but beg for more.

Logan, too, was surprised at how satisfied he was at that moment. Too long he'd been waiting to feel her in his arms, to hold her, to kiss her, to make love to her. Never had he dreamed that Emma Frost, the temptress she was, could be such a desirable woman and the most thrilling of mates. She was perfect. Her lush, delicious lips, her soft, silky skin, her unmatchable skill. It was definitely going to be a challenge to keep his hands off of her now that he'd claimed her as his.

Yes. Emma Frost, the seductive White Queen, Emma Frost, was his. She belonged only to him now. And there was no way in Hell he'd ever let another man have her. Suddenly Logan's fascination with the lost Jean Grey meant absolutely nothing to him anymore. He still missed Jean just as the others, but he no longer pined for her. No. There was no way that Jean could possibly satisfy his desires the way Emma had. A better experience was inconceivable.

When the two were ready to lie down for the night, they stayed together in the hut, Emma wrapped in Logan's big, strong arms, the smell of the sea and the smoke from what was left of the fire lulling them both to sleep.

A/N: You probably thought I was going to go more in detail huh? No. I really didn't want to make it rated M. Besides, it was funny that way. You know, it's really hard to get into their heads. Those two are hard to understand…So, if it's OOC, sorry. I tried my best. Please R and R.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: For those who are unsure, the incident with the Brotherhood wasn't real. That was part of the dream too. Lol

Emma was the first to wake the next morning. The first thing that registered was that Logan's arms were still around her. She pressed her back against his chest and moaned. It felt so good in his arms…She never wanted to leave him…

She felt his arms tighten around her, then his hands ran along her sides and down to her thighs. Again, she moaned. His touch felt wonderful to her. When he moved over top of her, she only left her eyes closed as he kissed her sweetly. A hot sensation began to coil in Emma's midsection like lava boiling to the surface of a volcano. "Logan…" she crooned softly against his lips. Her hands roamed his bare back wanting more passion form him…

Logan was only vaguely conscious of the fact that he was kissing her. All he knew was that he _had_ to kiss her. It felt and tasted so delicious…he wanted more…

His eyes came open only a fraction as his mouth teased Emma's. His tongue glided across her lips until they parted willingly to let him in. She sighed in pleasure as their tongues played with one another's. She felt so small and fragile beneath him, like a porcelain doll.

Slowly, Logan began to step from the surreal dream-like world and come back to reality. He remembered what they had done the night before and all of the confusing, torturous emotions that had been gnawing at him for the past few days. And the longer he thought about it, the crazier it sounded. Here he was, kissing the one woman he'd sworn he'd hated and would never trust, falling for her like a hormonal teenage boy, and he felt like a fool.

How could he possibly feel this way about her? After everything she'd put him through, how could he want her so badly? How could he possibly be falling in love with her?

Wait…Love? Who said anything about love? Did he love her? He didn't think so. He couldn't. He hated everything about her. She was arrogant, prissy, stuck up, nosy, sarcastic; the list went on and on! But damn straight, she was the sexiest woman he'd ever laid eyes on. How could she not be with long, blond hair like that, sparkling bright blue eyes, lush lips, soft, creamy skin and a figure that could drive any man wild. No. It couldn't be love. Love was the worst word there was to describe their unnatural attraction to each other. Lust; that's what it was. That was the _only_ word to describe their attraction for each other.

But that wasn't good enough for Logan. It still felt so wrong. This shouldn't be happening. He shouldn't thirst for her kiss, ache for her body the way he did. His mouth left hers and he rolled off of her and sat up, putting a hand to his forehead. "What the Hell are we doing?" he groaned still unable to comprehend his actions let alone hers.

When Logan had left her, Emma felt cold and empty. She didn't know why, but it hurt. She opened her eyes and slowly sat up to watch him as he obviously struggled with himself over some inner turmoil. What was wrong with him? Wasn't he happy? Wasn't he satisfied?

Emma pushed away the feelings of hurt and confusion, because apparently Logan needed help in figuring out what he wanted. She, on the other hand, knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted Logan, body and soul. She was still unsure of the causes for these emotions, but she knew now that they'd committed an act so unquestionabe binding that she could never let this man go. She wasn't sure what force compelled her to feel so strongly for him, but her feelings, she knew, ran more than just skin deep. But…how did Logan feel?

She moved so that she was in his lap, facing him, her hands on either side of his face. "Who cares?" she whispered. "All that matters is that we are both content. We know what we want. Why fight it?" Her lips touched his very softly and she began to tease him, to prove her point and show him what he meant to her. Whether or not he got the message, she didn't know, but his arms wrapped around her and held her to him.

Their kisses were sweet and innocent and warm like the dawn. But it only lasted a short while. Emma's mouth left his and she cringed in pain holding her stomach. Logan looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"Frost? What's wrong?"

Emma looked back into his face through her lashes as she smiled. "It's nothing really. But," She stood and Logan ached for her instantly. "I have to go," she said sweetly. "I'll be back soon though." She bent to kiss him on the cheek before exiting the little hut and leaving Logan confused and disoriented.

X-X-X

Logan must have paced the beach a hundred-no a thousand times waiting for Emma to return. Where was she? Why had she left? What was wrong with her? Was she alright?

The first answer to all of these questions that popped into his mind was something he preferred _not _to think about. God, he'd probably die if that were the case…He shuttered. No, it couldn't be that! Besides, it was too early to tell anyway. But still…He prayed to _God_ that the one thing that wouldn't get out of his mind was not what was wrong with her…

Finally, after hours of pacing and worrying, Emma emerged from the trees. When Logan saw her, he could have melted. His skin was on fire with the desire to take her again. She no longer sported her usual ensemble. Her feet were bare, and she wore a white cloth around her bosom instead of the top and a long white skirt that blew around her legs in the ocean breeze and her gloves were gone, revealing more of the creamy skin that he loved to touch.

She walked over to him with a smile, her arms folded across her chest. When she reached him, he was practically speechless. However he did manage to form a sentence. "What…Where's you cloak and the pants you had on? What did you do?"

"I decided I wanted a wardrobe change. So I made my cloak into a skirt and a strapless top. Do you like it?"

Did he like it? Did he _like_ it? Hell yes he liked it. More than liked it-he loved it. As far as he was concerned, it only made her more appealing. "'Like' is an understatement," he said gruffly, placing his hands on her hips. He bent his head and began to kiss her neck as he stroked her backside. He had to have her…

She sighed in both pleasure and regret. "Sorry Logan, not now."

He looked back at her confused. "What? Why not?"

She didn't answer. She merely pulled away from him and smiled, watching as his expression changed form confusion to shock and horror.

"No…"

"I'm afraid so."

"What? Now? But-why!?"

"Hey, don't look at me, I didn't make it come."

Bobby's head was tilted to one side as he tried to follow what was going on. "Uh…guys? What are they talking about?"

The others just stared at him. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," said Kitty. "You honestly don't know?"

"Uh… no. That's why I asked.

There was a long silence. "…Okay, who wants to tell him, cause I'm not explaining it!" said Kitty.

"No!" "Nu-uh!" "Not me!" "Nope!" "No way!"

"Would somebody _please_ tell me what's going on!?" demanded Bobby.

Silence.

"Oh come on! What!?"

"Hey, I have an idea," said Forge. He left the room and came back with a device like the ones they were using on Logan and Emma. "Here put this on."

"Uh…Why?"

"JUST DO IT!" they all yelled.

"Okay, okay, sheesh!" Bobby put the device around his neck and Forge hit a button. Within seconds, Bobby had yanked the collar from his neck and threw it to the floor before running in circles with his hands on his head yelling. "AAAHHHHHH!!!!!! MY EYES!!!!! Seriously, you guys could've just told me instead of making me see it!!!!! I'm going to be scarred for life!!!!!!!"

The rest of the X-Men were laughing so hard they couldn't breath. "Well," said Kitty. "You wanted to know and it would be really awkward to have to explain it."

"So you had to mortify me!? AH, GROSS!!!"

Logan hit his forehead and Emma came behind him to wrap her arms around his waist, her chin resting on his left shoulder. "I must say, this is going to be an interesting week," she said with a smile.

"Interesting? I'm going to go crazy!"

Emma raised her eyebrows. "Will it be that hard for the powerful Wolverine to resist temptation for a week? I thought you were stronger than that."

"Frost, when it comes to you…I'm never strong enough." He was referring not only to his desires, but to every argument they'd ever had. He could usually win an argument with everyone else, but when it came to her…well…he just wasn't as quick-witted or as cunning about getting what he wanted as she was.

For the life of her, Emma couldn't stop smiling. He was cute when he was frustrated. Yes, she said it, he was cute. Actually, that was a lie. Cute was a word you used for puppies and kittens and fluffy bunny rabbits. Logan was not cute. He was much more than that. He was down right sexy. Call her crazy, call her insane, but that's what she thought of him.

"You have no idea how ecstatic I am that I can affect you so much."

"Yeah, well you have a way of making a man feel inferior."

She stepped away from him and moved to stand in front of him again with her arms crossed. She smirked. "We'll see how inferior you feel by the end of the week."

Logan bristled. This…was so…not…fair. He'd only had…a few hours with her! Why now??? Why couldn't it have waited. Then he found himself cursing Eve for having to eat that stinking apple…

Emma turned and walked away from him then. Logan wanted to go after her, but what for? He couldn't do anything? Instead, he flopped down on the sand and grunted and growled. It wasn't fair…

A/N: I know this one is really short, but I wanted to stop there. Besides, I have writer's block. I need to think about how I'm going to do this now. And…this was the only way I could think of to keep it from turning into rated M. So yeah, just give me some time, I'll think of something. Please R and R. And thank you for your encouraging reviews. I wasn't sure if this couple would be accepted, so I'm surprised that this story is doing so well. And I like Emma way better than Jean. She's taken anyway. And why should Scott always win? Poor Logan needs love too, right? lol


	6. Chapter 6

Logan sat at the fire after he'd just placed fish to cook. He hadn't seen Emma most of the day and wondered where she was. But he supposed it didn't matter. He could get no enjoyment if she were there. Damn the monthly visitor! It was a curse for men as much as women…

Finally Emma emerged form the trees and Logan looked up only to regret it. Instantly the pain in his groin became unbearable. He wanted to beat his head off of something really hard to knock some sense into himself. He had to remind himself that she was off limits for a week. Well, to some extent anyway.

"Where have you been all day?" he asked. Emma smiled a little. She could see the pain on his face and hear it in his voice. This was very entertaining. "I just felt like being alone for the day. Besides, I thought I'd spare you for that long." She smiled and it seemed a bit wicked to him for some reason.

He furrowed his brow. "You're going to torture me this week, aren't you?"

She smiled and sat down beside him, her hands on his shoulders as she leaned into him. "Well of course. There's no sense in both of us being miserable for an entire week."

He stared at her for a moment. "You are one cruel woman, you know that?"

"I would have thought you'd gathered that before this little, unexpected trip."

"I thought you were bad before, now you're going to make this next week a living Hell."

"Come now, Logan, it won't be that bad."

"Yeah, for you."

Emma smiled and kissed him. He was frustrated already and she did feel bad. But maybe this would be good for them both. Emma knew that she felt more for him than just lust. Love was too strong of a word just yet, but it was getting there. However Logan, she feared, didn't feel the same. No, she knew he didn't feel the same. She would change all that though. No matter what it took, she vowed to herself that she would tame the wild Wolverine. Cage him, chain him up if she had to, she _would_ tame him.

"Oh, I think you'll be just fine."

X-X-X

Late that night, Logan walked the beach watching the moon's reflection upon the water. It was cool, so he wore his t-shirt and brown coat. Emma stood in the doorway of the hut watching him. After awhile, she decided she couldn't stay away any more. She walked silently along the beach after him, her eyes on his back and shoulders. When she reached him, she wrapped her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. Logan looked down at her, his expression not betraying any emotion.

"What's the matter, Logan? Is it that hard already?"

He stopped and turned to her, his hands on her lower back. "You have no idea." His voice was a low rumble. She let him pull her closer and kiss her neck as she clung to him. She wanted him too, but they couldn't, and they both knew it. Logan wouldn't push it too far, she knew. Her lips were at his ear and she nibbled it, then kissed his cheek. As he continued to trail kisses down her neck, she shivered. She lay her head on his chest and sighed.

Yes, Logan wanted her, but he found that he took comfort simply in the feel of her body against his. It felt good to just hold her. Emma heard his heart beat faster and she smiled and closed her eyes. Even though she took solace in the moment, she was still going to keep her promise that she'd get some enjoyment out of this week.

Her hands ran along his back and she rubbed her hips against his. She felt his whole body stiffen and his arms trapped her against him like iron bars. He didn't move a muscle as she slipped one of her legs between his and raised it, rubbing it against his throbbing desire.

Logan growled. "Frost…" he warned.

She smirked a bit. "I told you I was going to be entertained this week," she said thoroughly enjoying his reaction to her seduction.

For a moment, Logan was unable to find his voice. Her leg was creating the greatest sensations within him, but also the most torturous. Why? Why was she able to do this to him? It was so unfair the way she could turn him into a man so powerless he'd fall upon his knees and beg for her mercy. He could have her right here and now. He could push her down onto the sand and take her now…if it weren't for that one factor.

He growled again, the reality of the situation hitting him. He grabbed her shoulders and stepped away from her, his eyes hard and pained. "What the Hell are you doing to me?"

Emma smiled. "Just what I said I would. I'm having my fun."

"Well it aint fun for me, Frost."

She turned to the side and smiled, showing off her perfect, seductive body. "What can I say? Torture is my specialty."

Logan glowered at her. "Well I aint gonna be your prisoner," he said as he stormed off toward the hut.

"How about this," she said as she watched him walk away. "After this week, the next week is yours. You can do anything to me you'd like. Torture me if you must, but what we do is your choice entirely. How's that sound?"

Logan stopped and was silent for a moment. "Frost, if you're gonna give me free rein in choosing what we do, you're gonna regret it."

Emma was curious now. "Oh? And why is that?"

He turned to look at her over his shoulder, his bright blue eyes menacing. "You aint the first girl I've had in my arms. And last night was no where near what I've done before."

The eyes of the rest of the X-Men widened. "Wow. TMI," said Kitty. "Way too much information."

"Wait…Logan's had girls before?" said Bobby.

"Uh, where have you been?" said Rogue. "Everyone knows that."

"Yeah," said Kitty. "We just…didn't need to know anything else…"

Rogue giggled. She'd heard of a few women that Logan had had affairs with. Pretty girls, but no one like Emma. She could tell that, unlike the others, Emma could stir the fire within him like no other woman could. It was strange to know that Logan had such a weak spot when it came to desire and temptation. Yet somehow, Rogue really liked the idea of him and Emma together.

It was a little bitter sweet actually. The two never stopped fighting. If it wasn't one thing, it was another with them. And it seemed that they were both very passionate individuals. They were strong willed and hard-headed and their passion always showed in any goal they'd set for themselves.

Rogue didn't know Emma all that much, but she knew Logan. Whenever he took on a responsibility, whether it be to the team or to his own heart, he followed through with more passion and fire in his soul than anyone she'd ever met. Emma, though never involved in something so worldly, was a strong woman who took orders from no one, man or woman. She was independent and could handle herself just as well as Logan. Call her old fashioned, but Rogue loved the idea of a happy ending, and those two seemed to fit perfectly together.

And besides that, Logan was desperately in need of a companion. When he'd arrived at the institute at the request of Charles Xavier, he'd immediately fallen for Jean Grey. Being the hot head that he was, he figured he could just take her. But unfortunately, Scott had already laid claim to the pretty little redhead. And Rogue also remembered that Japanese girl that Logan had loved. However, because of their differences in nationalities and the jealousy of that Samurai, they were both doomed to never be together.

From where Rogue stood on the issue, she firmly believed that Logan needed love. He needed someone who could complete him, someone who could turn his whole world around. But he didn't need a sweet, quiet girl, or a ditzy little school girl. He needed a woman. A pure, untamed dame who was just as hard-headed and strong as he was. Someone to challenge him. Someone to keep him on his toes. Someone who could match him in everything he did.

Someone like Emma G. Frost.

Without another word, Logan resumed his trek back to the little hut. Now that was interesting. So he had more tricks up his sleeve, huh? Now she couldn't wait for this week to end. She wanted to see what he could really do.

Logan lay on his stomach on his bed of leaves inside the hut when Emma entered. He knew she was there, but he refused to look at her. His heart still pounded and his body ached for her. He knew if he saw her face, her hair, her too sexy, too perfect body that he'd forget all about the minor setback…

Emma leaned over and kissed his ear, stoking his soft hair before going to rest upon her own bed. She wouldn't push Logan any further than that. At least…not for now. She smiled as her eyes closed. Before either could fall asleep, she said, "One day down; six to go."

God help him, he thought.

X-X-X

Logan was the first to wake the next morning. He'd already started a fire and was starting the fish when Emma strode out from the hut. She came up behind Logan as he sat on a log near the fire and wrapped her arms around his neck kissing his ear.

"Good morning, Logan," she crooned.

"You're not gonna pull a stunt like you did last night are you?" he asked not sure if he could handle another episode like that.

Emma seemed to think for a moment. "Mmm…Maybe later."

Logan groaned. "Where's a gun when you need it?"

She giggled a bit and sat down beside him. She looked at the fish and frowned. "You know, we're going to be so sick of fish by the time we get off this island. Honestly, I think if ever see another fish again, I'm going to hurl."

"Well, apparently there aren't any large animals on this island, or we could eat those. And don't think I'm taking my chances with those damn birds again."

"What about squirrels and rabbits?"

"Haven't seen any. This island is still weird to me."

"Yes, it certainly is," agreed Emma. Truth was, she was getting used to living here with Logan. Though she wished they had more things to eat, she was enjoying it out here. And being alone with Logan was stirring many things deep within her that she'd never dreamed were there. Now the prospect of leaving this place saddened her. She didn't want to go back to the Institute. She didn't want to go back with the others. She wanted to stay here, with Logan…

"Frost?"

Her head spun around to meet his gaze. "What?"

He gave her a funny look and she wasn't sure what to make of it. "Are you okay?" he asked genuinely concerned.

"Yes, fine," she answered easily. She smiled when she looked into his eyes. My, were they beautiful…She leaned closer until their lips were mere centimeters apart as she looked deep into his eyes, his soul.

Logan, too, found himself mesmerized by Emma's eyes. He'd never noticed how the seemed to sparkle like the sea…Yet they were a little cloudy and mysterious. It made her look as if she were keeping a secret that only her eyes could reveal.

Abruptly he looked away. He still thought this whole thing was madness. His reactions to her were so strong it was impossible to rip his mind from those thoughts of being inside her again, of melting all of his stress away as he lay in her arms. And he still couldn't understand why it had to be Emma. Why not some other woman? He was sure there were women who were just as sexy as Emma Frost, or perhaps even better than her-with even greater skills. He was positive that there were women out there who's lips were as soft and delicious as hers. Whose smooth, creamy skin was as silky and begged to be touched as much as hers. Whose very movements could send electricity through his entire body like hers could.

No, damn it, there wasn't! And he knew that for a fact, because he had more than one thing telling him so. Emma Frost was all woman, in every aspect of examination. Her mind was brilliant. She could outsmart even the toughest of opponents even without her telepathy. Her strength was incredible. With the telepathic skills she'd worked so hard to perfect and her ability to change into diamond, she was definitely a worthy adversary and a strong addition to the team. Her wit and cunning were impossible to outmatch. And of course, her beauty and skills went totally unmatched by any. It was then that Logan realized that he was doomed. There was no escaping Emma G. Frost.

X-X-X

A few hours had passed since breakfast, and now Emma sat on a rock beneath a tree at the edge of the trees busying herself by crafting a sea shell necklace, Logan sprawled out on a large branch above her like a jungle cat. Every now and then, he would growl to make his annoyance known.

"Come now, Logan, are you really that bored?"

"You know, there are only so many things you can do on an island in the middle of nowhere. How long have we been here? A week?"

"A little over."

He growled again. "Damn it, how long can it take to fix the jet? Forge can usually repair the worst damage in a matter of a few day. What the Hell is taking so long?"

"Would you be patient? I'm sure they'll be here to rescue us soon, and then we'll be headed home, back to normalcy again. At least as normal as things ever get."

"Well I'm tired of laying around here like there isn't a war going on. The world needs the X-Men. And I'm the only one Charles can communicate with. Without him, there's no telling what could happen."

Emma smirked a little, her concentration still on the necklace. "You and I both know the real reason you're so annoyed."

He glared at her. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Please. The thought never left." Logan grunted and turned away. "You know," she began with a mysterious air. "There are…loopholes. Ways of getting around the…minor setback."

He raised himself on one arm and looked down at her curious. "First of all, "minor setback?" I wouldn't call it a "minor setback." And second, what do you mean loopholes? There _is_ no way to get around it."

Emma smiled, not looking at him. "That's where you're wrong. There are two ways actually."

Logan still wasn't convinced. There was no way to get around PMS. He still studied her curiously. "Okay then, let's say there _are_ ways. Just what would they be?"

Emma gave a little chuckle. "Don't think I'm going to tell you, because I won't."

He found himself suddenly annoyed at this. "And why not?"

"Because I don't feel up to it anyway." She stood and ran her hand from her neck to her stomach. "I'm aching all over and these cramps aren't doing anything to help the situation. Besides," She turned to him and smirked. "What fun would it be if I told you?"

Logan's eyes narrowed. "I said it once, I'll say it again; you're a cruel woman Frost." He jumped down from the tree and walked over to her, curious again. "Does it really hurt that bad?"

She raised her eyebrows, a little surprised by this question. "If you're really that curious, I could show you. It wouldn't be very hard to convey the feelings to you."

He studied her expression and decided against it. "On second thought," he said striding past her. "I think I'll take your word for it."

Emma watched after him as he walked along the beach toward the water where she knew he'd stop. Then she looked down at the finished shell necklace before putting it around her neck.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Emma was on the beach, trying to keep herself entertained. She was rather bored, and was tired of lying around doing nothing. She walked barefoot across the warm sand enjoying the ocean breeze. Then she thought light as she walked on her tip-toes. She raised her arms and bent forward to do something like a round-off. When she was on her feet again, she stretched. Then she bent backwards and rolled to her hands, then to her feet. When she stood up again, two strong arms wound around her waist.

"Oh!" Emma gave a little start, then she smiled.

"Nice moves," said Logan with a playful smile before he kissed her cheek.

Emma smirked and lifted her hand to run her fingertips along his cheek and jawbone. "I'm glad you appreciate them."

She turned her head a bit more and Logan kissed her sweetly. As he did, his hands ran along her sides and over her stomach. When he reached her thighs, Emma sighed. "Hands off, Logan."

"I'm not doing anything," he said smiling against her neck.

"But you want to."

"Frost, what man in his right mind _wouldn't_ want to?"

"Is that a compliment, or are you just a dog in heat who'll take whatever comes your way so long as it satisfies you?"

"No, that was a compliment. And I don't give those out very often. So be grateful."

"Oh, I'm very grateful." She turned in his arms and kissed him with heated passion. He growled against her lips and she smiled. She hadn't forgotten about getting her fun.

A few seconds later, her mouth left his and she sighed before kissing his neck. But that wasn't all she was going to do. Before Logan could react, she was trailing hot kisses down his bare chest and stomach. And damn it, her kisses weren't the only thing that was hot. The thing that really pissed him off though was that he knew she was doing this to him on purpose. And she was dangerously close to the button of his jeans…

"Grrrrr…Frost…" He let out a strained, shuttering sound and afterwards, he felt her lips curve upward against his stomach. She was soooo enjoying this. She could feel the shudders and shivers that went through his entire body when she tortured him like this. Only a week ago, she would never have thought that Wolverine would have such a weak spot. Then again, he was a man. And men, whether they liked it or not, were always at the mercy of women. There was no escaping what women could do to them without even trying. And Emma was definitely enjoying Logan's reactions…

Logan grabbed her shoulders in the next instant and hauled her to her feet again. He looked her strait in the eyes and growled in warning. "Frost…"

Emma couldn't help but smile. "Would you relax? There are only four more days left. Then you can do whatever you wish with me."

"If you keep this up, those four days can go to He-Ahhh…" Logan's eyes squeezed shut when her hand ventured down between his legs. His whole body went tense except for his fingers which flexed against her shoulders. Slowly she began to move her hand back and forth…

With a growl, he pushed her away before turning and practically running in the opposite direction. Damn that woman! Was she trying to get him to do something he'd regret?

Emma stood there with a smirk on her face as she watched Logan storm off. She had to give him credit; he was pretty strong to resist that last move of hers. That took a Hell of a lot of will power.

Bobby and Kitty and Forge were howling with laughter as Rogue and Storm tried there best to suppress theirs. Beast felt more than a little awkward.

"Emma is a genius!" howled Bobby. "She's really giving him Hell!"

"That's an understatement," said Kitty trying to speak through her breathless laughter.

"It's brilliant! Hank, I swear, this is the greatest idea any of us have ever had!"

"Uh…yeah…" He wasn't real sure what to say to what was happening in dreamland.

"I've gotta' say, Hank," said Rogue. "I don't think I've ever been this entertained."

"Neither have I," agreed Storm.

"Wait…Isn't it illegal for us to be watching this?" Forged whispered to Rogue. "Yeah, Hank shut it off during the best part, but still. Isn't it the same thing as hiding cameras in their rooms?"

"Well, it's no worse than what's on television. Take MTV for instance. And all those playboy channels. Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you Forge?" Forge's face flushed beat red. "Would you? Huh? Would you, Forge? Huh? Huh? Would you?"

"NOOOO!!!"

The others all turned to look at Forge like he'd gone mad. Forge could have hid under the table at this point…

X-X-X

Emma had walked along the beach for hours now. She knew that Logan would get over his anger issues and come back soon. She was all the way at the other end of the beach when she saw him slip into the little hut. Silently she walked to it and entered, a smile gracing her lips.

"You stay away from me," Logan growled.

"Why? I thought you couldn't resist me?"

"Yeah, that's the damn problem isn't it?"

Her lips curved even more and she walked over to where he lay on his side facing away from her. She bent down and lay over top of him, her left hand running through his hair, the other along his arm. "You've forgotten about the loopholes," she crooned in the voice of a temptress.

"Damn it, there are no loopholes!"

"Yes there are…"

"If there are, then why the Hell won't you tell me? Are you trying to drive me insane?"

"Perhaps I am…Or perhaps I just love torturing you."

"Yeah? Well guess what. Next week, when it's my turn, I'm going to pay you back ten times over for the Hell you're putting me through!"

"Mhm. I can't wait…" Emma began to nibble at his ear and you would have sworn he was a rabid dog the way he growled. Of course, this only pleased Emma even more. He was so dramatic about everything. I think you've been tormented enough. I'll be nice and let you sleep now."

"You're never nice."

Emma smiled and stood before going to lay down on her own bed. "Goodnight, Logan." He let out another growl and again, she had to laugh to herself.

X-X-X

Logan roamed the island the next morning like a lion through the jungle. He was so pissed off he could slaughter everything in sight. What the Hell kind of game was she playing anyway? Did she want him to forget all about the "minor setback"? It sure as Hell seemed like it. And what were these alleged loopholes? There was absolutely _no_ way to get around it. None. So what was Frost talking about? God, he could just scream!

"Morning, Logan." He spun and saw-of course-Emma Frost standing against a tree behind him.

"Come to make me wish I was dead, have you?"

Emma smiled, but it wasn't the same as it had been the night before. It seemed genuine…loving. He watched as she came toward him and didn't try to stop her. Her arms wound around his neck and when she kissed him, it wasn't heated. It was sweet, gentle, innocent….which he knew was complete boloney. This sexy woman was not-I repeat, NOT-innocent.

But the feelings that were stirred within him were different entirely. He felt like all he wanted to do was hold her…kiss her. When she pulled away and he looked into her eyes, she gazed into his with the eyes of a love-struck teenager. It was absolute madness. What had changed in her so suddenly? And what about him? He didn't feel lust, like before. He felt…well, he didn't know what he felt exactly. He was downright confused.

"Emma…?"

"Yes?"

Logan merely stared back at her not sure what to say. "…Are you okay?"

"Hm. I'm fine." She smiled and lay her head against his chest listening to his heart beating. It was thundering against his ribs like a hammer.

Emma enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. There were times-like yesterday-when she felt like a bad girl-lusty and in need of entertainment. But then there were times like right now where all she wanted from Logan was to be held, to feel loved. Call it a girl thing. But she loved the feel of his arms. They were strong, supportive, protective. Not that she needed protecting. Hell, when she was fighting, not even Logan could touch her. But it felt good to have him beside her.

Logan, too, was finding himself content with the feel of her slight body in his arms. It had been such a long time since he'd held a woman at all much less like this. His right hand stroked her hair and she seemed to relax even more against him. Before he knew it, he'd forgotten all about his anger at her for what she'd done to him the night prior.

After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled back and ran her hands down his arms to grasp his hands. It was then that Logan remembered his previous anger.

"What's going on? Just last night, you were torturing me with temptation and now you're acting like this? What are you up to?"

"Dear, dear Logan, I'm not up to anything. I just want to be with you today. No torture, I promise. Let's just walk, how does that sound?"

He studied her expression for a moment. It didn't seem deceptive at all. She seemed sincere. "Is this one of those bipolar girl things that comes with PMS?" He asked seriously confused.

"Oh, just come on," she said rolling her eyes with a smile. She grabbed his hand and began to walk through the bright green forest on the little island. Logan finally gave in and walked beside her, their hands intertwined.

It felt more than a little strange to Logan. First, he was here on this island with Emma, who he'd thought, until recently, that he'd hated. Second, he'd managed to get along with her, no big fights. Third, he'd managed to do the stupidest thing any man could have done; he had had sex with the woman he allegedly hated. Fourth, he was walking through the forest holding hands with her like they were children.

And fifth, he feared he was beginning to fall in love with her. Yes, he admitted it. He was starting to fall head over heals in love with Emma Frost. How was that possible? He had no idea. He knew he shouldn't love her. He knew it was wrong, he knew it was insane. But it was true.

When they arrived at an open area with a small stream, they both stared up at the bright blue sky. Logan's eyes shifted to Emma. Sensing this, she turned and smiled at him. It wasn't long before they sat together beneath a tree, Emma in Logan's lap, her head on his chest.

"Logan?"

"Hm?"

"Are you still upset with me for yesterday," she asked casually.

Logan thought for a moment. Thinking back to last night, he only felt frustrated. But he wasn't mad at her. Not really. "No, I guess not."

"So…what are your plans for next week? Or have you thought about it?"

"Nope, haven't given it any thought."

"Why not?"

"Because you'd just read my mind and find out what I was planning. What would be the point?"

She laughed a little. "Come now, Logan, why would I spoil the surprise? I'm all for surprises."

"I don't trust you not to take a look at my mind."

"Believe it or not, I haven't read you mind for a few days now. Not even while I was enjoying my fun."

"Oh really?" Logan didn't believe that at all.

Emma sighed. "I knew you wouldn't believe me. But it's the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She raised her head to look into his eyes and found that they were closed. When he sensed her looking at him, his eyes opened. "What?"

She smiled and her eyes sparkled. Her lips brushed lightly against his in a lover's caress before moving to his ear. Then her head moved to rest beneath his chin, her arms wound around his neck. Emma didn't care whether or not he believed her. He'd learn to trust her yet. She'd make sure of that.

X-X-X

It was later that night after they'd eaten, the sparks from what was left of the fire floating up into the endless, black sky, the full moon shedding light upon the tiny island which seemed to be the only thing that existed on the entire Earth. Logan had gone to make sure the rest of the food was put away safely and now Emma stood at the edge of the low tide gazing up at the moon.

When she felt Logan's arms around her, she shifted her weight to lean back against him. She knew that when his hands ventured a little low, he wasn't going to go any further than that. And she wasn't in the mood to tease him. This day had been perfect in her book. She and Logan had spent the entire day together. They didn't once argue, nor was there any tension-any pent up desire racing through either one of them. They had both been content with each other's company, to sit and hold one another, to enjoy their short time alone. The both figured that once the jet was repaired and the rest of the team had come to take them back to the Institute, they wouldn't get much time together. Why not take advantage of their time together now?

Emma was surprised when Logan's hands went to her shoulders and he turned her around to face him. The fire a few yards behind him was slowly dying and she could see his eyes sparkle in the moonlight. She could tell he had something to say, but he was straining to say it.

Instead, he bent his head down to kiss her lightly on the lips. Then he took her in his arms and pressed her close kissing her hair. A song seemed to play in their heads and they began to danced slowly beneath the full moon, Emma's head resting in the crook of his shoulder. Her fingers gripped his brown jacket tightly as she nuzzled closer to his neck.

Logan didn't know what to say. He had no idea what he was even feeling. But he did know that he'd never felt like this before. What was happening to him? Why was he becoming addicted to the feel of her body against him? Why did he long to hold her? Why did he thirst for her sweetest kiss? Why was he so desperate to gaze into those beautiful eyes? Why did his heart pound so wildly when he was near her? Or when he wasn't? Logan felt something….Something powerful, something compelling. He just had no idea what it was.

And why? He still didn't understand. Emma? Why Emma? Why not another woman? Why Emma Frost? Why, out of all the women in the world, did he have to fall for the one woman he _still_ did not trust? Yes, it was ridiculous, but even after everything they'd been through, he still did not trust her. Not one bit. And that's what bothered him the most. He was having these feelings for her-feelings so strong they couldn't be denied-but he didn't trust her. Not with the team. Not with her motives for joining. And definitely not with his heart. And that's what hurt the most.

Emma couldn't stand it. Something was wrong with Logan. Something was troubling him, and she was so anxious that she couldn't wait for him to work up the nerve to say it. Her arms were already around his neck and she pulled back and put her hands on his face before kissing him. She didn't want him to figure out what she was doing.

As their lips played upon the other's, Emma searched his mind for what was bothering him. What could possibly be affecting him so? Needless to say, she didn't like what she found. He didn't trust her? After all she'd done for the team? After all the two of them had been through since they arrived on this island? Her heart wanted to burst…Not because he didn't trust her…but because he was right not to.

This morning when she'd awoken, she'd found Logan gone. She had decided to give him his space because she knew he'd still be hot-tempered from the night before. But as she'd walked to the stream to wash up, she'd gone back to the argument they'd had the day before they'd taken on the mission with the Brotherhood, thus landing themselves on this island. She had remembered what Logan had said to her.

"_Listen, lady, you're still on thin ice, and I still don't think your reasons for being here are what you say they are."_

Her easy reply had been simple enough to fool all of them. Except maybe Logan.

"_Honestly, Logan, what do you think I'm going to do, poison the X-Men? If I wasn't sincere about joining the team, I wouldn't be here at all."_

That statement had only been half true. The only true part being that she wasn't going to poison the X-Men. But she hadn't really wanted to join the team. It had been necessary in order to accomplish what she'd initially started. Her plan had seemed flawless, but unfortunately she hadn't foreseen the result of her attempt to get a hold of Jean Grey. It had inevitably failed thus resulting in the desperate measures she'd had to take; joining the X-Men. It was the only way that she could find Jean again and fix her mistake.

The thing was, she had begun to grow attached to all of them. They were good people who's main concern was helping to make the world a peaceful place for both humans and mutants. Bobby and Kitty were always fun to be around with their sophomoric sense of humor. Storm was a kind woman of few words, but when she had something to say, it always came from her heart. Beast was a such a kind soul. He was so hard not to love, sort of like a giant teddy bear. Rogue, though she'd given them a bit of trouble, was on of the most reliable friends you could have. Forge was such a joy to work with, and he always made her smile because of his concern for nothing but his machines. Scott…Well your heart just had to go out to the poor guy. He'd lost the woman he loved…

And Logan…A week ago, she'd only been able to tolerate him, just barely. She'd grown to view him as a protector, a strong head for the X-Men. And that he was. But now…Her heart cried out for him. She wanted him so badly it hurt. He wasn't as bad as she had first thought. And she wanted more from him…

However as the reality of her situation came rushing back to her as she'd stood near the stream, her heart could have stopped beating. She'd completely lost sight of her initial plans, that's how blinded by Logan she was. Now she was so afraid of losing him. For if he found out, that would surely be the end of her days as an X-Man. And as far as her and Logan went…Well she could just kiss these pleasant times goodbye. Because he'd certainly get rid of her…And he wouldn't look back.

So she'd gone to find him this morning. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to enjoy whatever small bit of time she had left with him.

When she looked into his eyes again, her own were filled with a desperation that Logan couldn't understand. Her arms returned to around his neck and she lay her head in the crook of his shoulder again as she whispered; "I love you, Logan…"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I haven't been writing much lately. I've been kind of busy. But I promise I'll try my best to update whenever I can. XP Well, I hope you like the next chapter. ^^

When Emma awoke the next morning, she found a familiar warmth surrounding her. She didn't need her powers to figure out that it was Logan's arms around her. She snuggled closer to his strong, protective body and sighed. Then she slowly opened her eyes as reality came back to her-the reality of her situation. She frowned, her eyes now full of sadness.

She had to get out of this hut. She needed to be alone for a while. She knew, however, that it would be nearly impossible for her to leave without waking Logan. So she reached into his mind and manipulated him to remove his arms from her and flip to his other side. He let out a small growling noise, but Emma smiled because it was kind of cute. Then she turned and left the hut to find the stream.

When she arrived, she wend down further to where she'd found a small waterfall and space large enough to swim in. She dipped down into the water and took pleasure in its warmth and its comfort. But the entire time, she was troubled. She knew-somehow, someway-she had to tell Logan the truth. He didn't trust her and he never would. Why not just tell him and get it over with?

Then she asked herself this: was she still going to go through with the plan? When they found Jean-and they _would_ find Jean-would she still betray the X-Men? She didn't want to…not now, not after all this. But the Phoenix…It was a dangerous force that lived inside Jean Grey and it had to be dealt with. For if it were to be unleashed upon the world when it matured, then they were all doomed.

Emma never saw herself as one of the bad guys-or girls. True she was willing to betray good people, but it was for a good cause. She and the others in their little club only wanted to keep the world safe from the Phoenix. For thousands and thousands of years, the Phoenix had been born into many telepaths and when it had matured, it ruptured, unleashing a devastating fire upon the Earth and destroying great civilizations and creating new ones in their places. Surely no one wanted their world and their lives to end because of this devastating force.

But did it really matter? Was it worth it if she lost Logan in the process? If she told Logan and he never wanted to see her again, would she even care if the world were destroyed? She wouldn't have anything left to live for, so why bother caring? Her will to live would be destroyed along with everything else.

Emma came up from beneath the water and swam toward the bank. There, she rested her arms a rock, her head in her arms as a tear fell. What was she to do? She couldn't go on living a lie with Logan when he didn't trust her. She couldn't do this if she didn't tell him the reason he was right not to trust her. More tears fell silently onto her skin as she thought of losing the only man she'd ever really loved…

"What's wrong with Emma?" asked Bobby with a frown. He'd never thought he'd see the day when Emma Frost cried. It was rather sad, like seeing Logan cry. Pft, like that would ever happen!

"I…don't know," said Beast.

"Emma's cryin'?" said Rogue with sad eyes. "But why…? I don't understand either…"

Storm thought a moment. She thought back to their argument just before they'd gone off to bed. "Maybe…she is upset because Logan doesn't trust her…"

They all looked at Storm. "What? Why would he not trust her after everything that's happened between them?" asked Kitty.

Storm's eyes were regretful now. "Perhaps there's a good reason he can't trust her. And that's why she's so bothered."

"Aw, c'mon," said Bobby. "Emma's proven herself as part of this team. What more could Logan want?"

"Who knows," said Storm.

X-X-X

Emma returned to the hut about an hour later and found Logan sitting at the fire. It looked as if he'd just put on fish to cook. Reluctantly she went to sit beside him and he smiled at her. She smiled back, but it felt weak and half-hearted.

"Morning Logan."

"Where did you run off to this morning?"

"Oh…Just wanted time to myself is all," she said looking down into the fire and remembering the Phoenix. She frowned unconsciously.

"Frost?" Emma's head spun around and she now saw concern in his face. "Is everything ok?"

"Um, yes, fine. Just fine. Still a bit drowsy is all…"

She didn't know why, but she was surprised when Logan's arm wound around her and he pulled her close to kiss her cheek before resting his head on hers. Again she frowned into the fire. This was all wrong…He shouldn't be kissing her…Not after what she'd done.

After they'd eaten, Emma stood abruptly and turned to walk away from the fire without a word to Logan. He stood and caught her arm, however and she found it hard to look at him. "Frost? What's the matter?"

It took a moment before she could compose herself enough to turn her head to look into his eyes. "Nothing. Can't I walk around on my own for a bit? Honestly, Logan, you worry too much."

Just before she turned away, though, he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. Fear? What could she possibly be afraid of? "Emma." This stopped her again. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest as she heard the rough edge to his voice. His eyes were narrowed just enough to show that he was suspicious.

They stood in silence for a moment. "No. Nothing." She smiled curtly before walking out of his grip and across the beach.

Yeah, right. Like he believed that. Something was wrong with her, but he had no inkling of what it could be. Yesterday had been perfect…And she had told him she loved him…Logan had never thought that love was in his reach. Each time he'd though he was close-each time he'd let his heart be taken by some beautiful woman, he was brutally ripped away from his dreams, his fantasies and brought back to the cold, hard reality that he was doomed to be alone for the rest of his long and pathetic existence.

Now…now he'd found Emma. No, he'd never thought of her as anything but annoying until recently, but now he loved her. Why? He didn't know. He still didn't trust her…but he had to admit that if she was going to do something so despicable she'd had plenty of opportunities to do so, especially whenever he'd left on one mission or another. With him gone, it would have been a lot easier for her to pull something. But she hadn't. So why was he so concerned?

He sighed to himself and went back to the fire to sit. He never understood women. And he supposed he never would. Obviously she wanted time to herself so he wouldn't argue with her. Hell, for all he knew it could just be PMS.

The whole day, however, he barely saw Emma. It was strange because he thought after yesterday they'd spend the rest of their time on this island just being together. Now he was beginning to worry. Something was wrong with her. He'd never seen her so off kilter. She was Emma Frost after all. But something was up, and Logan was growing anxious.

Emma returned only after Logan had fallen asleep. When she entered the hut, she glanced at Logan with the most distant and forlorn of expressions. Then she lay on her own bed facing away from him and went to sleep.

Logan awoke to the smell of fish cooking. How odd…When he ventured out of the hut, Emma sat at the fire. "Well, aren't you on the ball. You even caught the fish today." He smiled at sat beside her.

"I figured I could get the fish for once," she said in a distant tone.

Again, Logan felt the worry begin to gnaw at his brain. She was still so…different. Within minutes, the fish was done and they began to eat. Emma, however, barely touched hers. She was so out if it she couldn't even try to act normal.

Logan turned to her with concerned eyes and placed a hand on hers. "Frost…what's wrong? And don't tell me I worry too much. I'm not that stupid."

Emma looked away and took her hands from his. "It's nothing…I just…I don't feel well…" She stood and began to walk slowly along the shoreline. Logan followed her and wound his arms around her, pressing her back closer to him. "Tell me," he whispered.

She wanted to, she really did. She hated keeping secrets form him. It hurt to lie to him anymore…And she hated feeling this way. Besides, it was the right thing to do. If she loved him-if she truly, honestly loved him-then she had to tell him the truth. But she didn't want to lose him…she couldn't stand to lose Logan…Tears began to stream down her face.

"It's ok, Emma…I promise…Just tell me." He wiped a tear from her cheek. "I love you, Emma…"

"No…you don't-you can't…"

"I shouldn't…I don't know why I do, but I love you. You're annoying, you're maddening, you're irritating, but damn it, I love you. What more do you want me to say?"

Her hand came to her mouth as more tears came. Logan couldn't understand. Emma? Crying? Had the world gone mad?

"Emma…"

"No, Logan, you can't love me…you don't trust me…"

Was that what was bothering her? That he didn't trust her? She had read his thoughts…"I…I don't know if I trust you, Frost…But I'm willing enough to put that aside. I've never wanted any woman like I want you. And it's killing me to see you so upset. I said I love you…I don't know what else to do."

She pulled away from him and turned to face him now, still in tears. "No, no, no, you don't understand…You can't love me!"

"I _do_ love you. I understand that." He came closer and despite her protests, he took her into his arms and held her tight against him. As he stroked her hair, he felt her body begin to shake as she fought hard to stifle her sobs. "I love you, Emma…"

"No…"

"More than you could possibly understand. More than even I can understand…"

"No…"

"I was wrong not to trust you…You've proven your worth, your loyalty to me and the team."

"No…"

"…I love you-"

"No!" Her hands flew up to his face and his eyes widened as she showed him the truth…The cult, the many records of the Phoenix and it's destructive power, their plan to capture Jean Grey, everything.

When he'd seen enough, Logan pushed her away backing up, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

"It…It was you…"

Emma's eyes were full of fear and sadness and regret. "Logan…"

"It was you the whole time…Charles, Jean…It was all because of you…"

"No, Logan, you don't understand-"

"You lied to me! This entire time, you've been lying to me!" His face no longer showed any concern for her feelings or his previous confessions of love. He was Wolverine now, staring into the face of the enemy. "I knew from the moment I opened that door and saw you standing there on the steps of the Xavier Institute that you were nothing but trouble. And I was right!"

Emma was desperate now…She'd known this would happen but she had no way fix it. "Logan!" she cried.

"No! You lied to me-to all of us! You're the one that caused all of this in the first place! You caused the explosion at the Institute! And afterwards, you had the nerve to ask to be a member of the team?"

"But Logan, the Phoenix-"

"As of now, you're membership as an X-Man is revoked! You aren't one of us-never have been, never will be!" He turned and stormed off up the beach and into the trees, Emma rushing frantically after him.

"Logan wait! Please! You don't understand! Loga-ah!" Logan turned on her, the claws in his right hand going to her throat trapping her against a tree, her head back as fear coursed through her entire body. She was scared. She was scared, not only that he might kill her-and he very well might-but she was scared of losing him. She was scared of never earning his trust again…She was scared of being alone…

As she looked down into his eyes, a feral growl coming from deep in his throat, she saw him struggling with himself. She saw the moments of passion they had shared and she could tell that his heart was acing just as badly as hers. She didn't doubt that his confession of love for her was true, but she knew he'd never take her back now. She could see this quite clearly when there was more anger and rage in his eyes than mercy.

He could do it…He should do it. He should kill her now. She deserved it. After everything she'd done, after the hell she'd put them all through, after she'd seduced him and made him believe she actually cared about them-about him! She was a liar. Every word that had come from those delicious lips of hers was a lie. He'd love to kill her…He'd love to watch her scream…

But something held him back…As he looked into her eyes, he saw the absolute terror in them. She could fight back…so why didn't she? Why didn't she shoot him with psychic energy, or change into her diamond form and knock him senseless? Why was she cowering in fear? It wasn't like her…It wasn't like the White Queen to cower before anyone…

Then he saw it…She loved him. She truly loved him. And she was afraid of losing him. And if he were being honest, he didn't want to lose her either. He loved her…or thought he did…Did he? Surely he didn't want to kill her…No matter how tempting it was to slice her pretty little throat…

No! He couldn't do it, he just couldn't…His heart cried out in pain as he held his deadly claws of metal to her thin, feminine neck. He couldn't hurt her…

With a growl, he retracted his claws and gave her the look of a savage beast before heading off into the woods.

Emma watched him forlornly, the tears coming again. This was it…It was all over…She covered her face with her hands and slid to the ground in despair.

The rest of the X-Men watched, shock on all their faces. It was all Emma's fault…? The explosion, the destruction-everything? How was that possible?

"Aw man…" breathed Kitty.

"But…Emma…She's a part of the team…" Bobby struggled for words but couldn't find any that conveyed his shock.

"Hank…?" said Rogue. "What should we do…? I mean…should we let this go on?"

Beast seemed to think for quite some time. "I think…I think we should wait and see how this plays out."

"But is that wise?" asked Ororo. "I don't know what she showed Logan…he could be overreacting-you know how he is. But…she didn't deny that it was her who caused the explosion."

"I know. But she's obviously upset," said Beast. "She seems to regret her actions and I don't think it's an act."

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out," said Rogue.

"Agreed," said Beast.

"So we're going to keep watching?" asked Forge.

"Yep."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry again that it took so long to update. This one took a lot of thought….You'll see why. I still think it's pretty vague, but I tried. These are two very complex characters after all. I know they are kind of OOC, but…Hey, it's interesting, right? So enjoy and please review.

Another week. That's how long they stayed apart. Each to their own on opposite ends of the island. Emma stayed at the hut while Logan was content with sleeping beneath the trees of the forest on the opposite shore. They never once attempted to find the other nor did they happen upon each other by accident.

This didn't bother Logan. He was a loner, always having to deal with company that he didn't really need. So his current situation, being alone for an entire week without the voice or touch of another was a welcome relief. He didn't need anyone else. He could take care of himself just fine and he was glad to not be responsible for another person for once.

But though he was content with being on his own-though Frost was still on the island, simply out of sight-he wasn't happy. Now Wolverine has never been and probably never will be "happy." His life a tragic mystery even to himself, his heart crushed, his lust for life gone forever since he had been forced to start over with a new identity was full of nothing but sorrow and misery that he'd learned to live with without question. Now he felt even lower than low since the truth of Emma's appearance at the Institute was made brutally clear to him. He questioned himself, over and over. How could he have been so stupid? So blind? How could he let his guard down? How could he push aside his distrust of her and let her close to his heart and his head? Wolverine never made those kinds of mistakes. Always sure of the truth, never doubting his sixth sense, how could he have become the fool of this saga?

He sat up in a tree, watching the waves crash against the cliffs as his mind whirled with dozens of questions, but not one single answer. As the week had progressed, his anger at Emma Frost and himself had subsided. It wasn't gone-oh no, it was definitely still there-but he now felt self-pity for the first time in his life. He looked back on all the women he'd ever been with. He'd rarely made the mistake of using the word "love" to describe his feelings for a woman. Emma had been one of those exceptions. As much as he felt hatred toward her, he couldn't stop the feelings he still held in his heart. This made him angry again. He did love her. Those feelings would never leave him. She had to know that. She had to have read his thoughts and seen and felt what she did to him. How she made him feel…

She didn't care. That was the problem. She didn't care about him. She didn't care about any of them. Her goal had been to get to Jean. That's all she wanted. And when her plan had failed, the only way she could find Jean again was with Cerebro. That's the only reason she'd asked to join the X-Men. She only cared about getting her hands on Jean and she didn't care who she had to step on to meet that goal. And Logan had fallen for her tricks. Her tricks, and something else, too.

Emma, however, held no bitterness, no resentment. If she did, it was directed at her own foolishness. She hated self-pity just as much as Logan did, but she couldn't stop the swell of pain that had overcame her. She wanted Logan back desperately, but there was no way to fix the terrible mistakes she had made. And she'd certainly hurt Logan in a way that no one could fix. She still felt his presence on the island, but she didn't dare read his thoughts. She was sure she wouldn't like them. Even so, she could still feel his anger and frustration, his heartache and pain from across the island. She wanted to find him, but there would be no point. No apologies or pretty words could fix what she had done.

Besides, she didn't dare to find him. He could very well kill her. He'd had the chance, but chose to spare her. She wasn't going to test his boundaries again.

As Logan sat in silence on the other side of the island, he couldn't help but wonder more about what Emma had shown him. He'd seen tablets and tapestries depicting a destructive force like no other and he knew it was called the Phoenix. He'd caught something about Jean being a part of the Phoenix-or was it the Phoenix being a part of her? However Logan didn't understand everything about the visions. And the more he thought about it, the less he could deny his curiosity of the subject. There was a reason Frost and the others had wanted Jean. But if she'd showed him the reason, he'd been too overwhelmed at the truth of the explosion to have received it.

And if Logan were being completely honest, he couldn't stay away from her any longer. Both his curiosity of the events she'd shown him and his own desire to face her again drove him to go back. When he arrived at the line of trees behind the hut, he stood and watched as Emma stood motionless at the shoreline. His anger still burned within him, but he knew he had to push it aside if he were to ever find out the truth. Whether or not he thought any better or worse about Emma after she'd explained things wouldn't matter because the information was relevant to Jean: a friend, a comrade, a good person. He had to know the truth.

So with determination, he stepped foot out onto the sand and forced himself to confront her for the first time in a week. He stood about two yards behind her and waited for her to recognize his presence. When it was clear she was too lost in her own thoughts, he spoke.

"Frost." Emma's eyes widened in shock at the familiar voice-a voice she hadn't expected to hear until they were saved from this island. She whirled around, clearly surprised at his appearance, but said nothing for a long time. They stood in silence, each trying to find the right words, none evident to either one.

Finally, Emma managed to gather her bearings to form a sentence, though highly unoriginal. "Logan…why are you here?"

His eyes narrowed and he growled in frustration. "Don't think I came here to ask for an apology. Cause I don't want one," he said getting their personal issues out of the way. That wasn't why he was here and she got the message quite clearly, both by his tone and his thoughts. She said nothing, merely nodded slowly and waited for his questions.

It took a minute before Logan could organize his thoughts, and when he spoke, it was purely down-to-business. "Tell me about the Phoenix. What is it?"

A very broad question, but she knew precisely how to answer it. She nodded again and her voice held no emotion now, like Logan's. "The Phoenix is a powerful force born into a telepath ever few thousand years. It's a destructive force that, when it reaches maturity, it is unleashed without any control or command from the host telepath and will destroy every civilization on Earth in a blaze of fire. And from the ashes of the old civilization, a new one is created."

"And Jean? What does she have to do with this?"

There was another pause. Then she said, "Jean is the one who holds the Phoenix. It lives within her, maturing, getting ready."

"I see. And it can't be stopped?"

"No…But it can be released early. Which was our goal: to release the Phoenix before it reached maturity in order to save the Earth from being destroyed."

"And how did you plan on doing that?"

Emma looked back at Logan, her eyes becoming slightly nostalgic. "I've trained all my life to become as powerful as I am now, though I am not the best. My plan was to take Jean and convince her to release the Phoenix so that I could contain it long enough to defuse it."

"And if she refused?"

"Then I would have no choice but to subdue her and release the Phoenix myself. But it wouldn't be easy since Professor Xavier put up barriers within her mind to hold it back. Each door would need to be opened in order for it to work."

"Didn't Xavier put the barriers there to contain it so it never comes out? Why release it if it isn't necessary?"

She looked back at him solemnly. "You can't hold the Phoenix back forever."

They stood staring at one another for a long time, Logan trying to piece together this new truth and Emma not sure what more to say. When Logan's jaw tightened, she could tell he had something else to say.

"What happens if you go through with this plan of yours and you can't control it?"

Another long silence. "Then many lives will be lost and the world will be in ruins."

Then it hit Logan: the future Xavier had shown them…that was the result of the Phoenix.

"I know what you're thinking, Logan. That's why it's my job to stop that from happening. That's why I did this. However I never expected Jean's reaction. The explosion was never supposed to have happened." She didn't bother to apologize: he'd already said he didn't want her apologies. So she said no more, her regret evident in her eyes.

Logan walked to stand beside her, staring out at the sea. What now? He knew what she had intended to do and he saw logic in her plan. But he couldn't go along with it. What if Jean were hurt in the process? What if the Phoenix destroyed her? He couldn't take that chance. He had to think. He had to think long and hard about this new situation…

Without another word, he turned and headed back into the trees, back to his side of the island, Emma staring after him, her heart still numb and in pieces.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," began Bobby. "Wait, so, Jean is…she's the one that's going to be responsible for the destruction of the world?" he asked in disbelief.

The others were stunned as well. "Jean?" said Rouge. "But…that can't be possible…"

Beast stared at the screen for a long time. Then he decided that Emma couldn't be lying again. She didn't have any more reason to lie. And all the research he'd done on the incident was conclusive to all that Emma had said. It wasn't really Emma who caused the explosion, it was Jean's response to the psychic attack. "What she says is the truth, Bobby," said Beast.

"But….Jean…" Kitty was flabbergasted. That and she was extremely thankful that Scott was in bed and not in the subbasement with the others. This news would definitely put him over the edge.

Beast put his hand up for silence and they all stayed quiet as they continued to watch.

For the next few days, Logan thought about all Emma had revealed to him. He thought about the images she had shown him, the destructive force of the phoenix and how it had the power to destroy the Earth. He pictured Jean in his mind, her beautiful face and fiery hair in the wind as the blaze of fire shot from her very being in the shape of a large bird. He saw the future that Xavier had shown them…He couldn't let that happen…The only problem was that Logan wasn't sure what caused the world to be destroyed in that way. Was it the Phoenix itself or did the future occur because Emma tried to release the Phoenix early and couldn't contain it?

He growled in frustration as he racked his brain for answers. He found none, however and found himself trapped instead. Finally he came to the conclusion that either way, the world would be destroyed. If Emma released it early, there was a chance they could prevent the horrible future that Charles now faced. But if they didn't try, then the world would go up in flames and that future would most certainly occur. Logan supposed there was no harm in trying…

As angry as he still was, he knew he had to put that anger aside. Jean's well-being and the fate of the world rested on the slim chance that the Phoenix could be stopped. And if it couldn't…well, he supposed their work and effort would be for nothing. But they had to try…

Logan wandered around the island for awhile before he could face Emma again, then finally went back to the hut and therefore to Emma. She sat on a log near the fire pit, though no fire burned, making another necklace simply because there was nothing else for her to do. When she sensed Logan's presence, she said nothing, not wanting to be the one to break the silence. She had nothing to say for herself anyway. So she stayed silent.

Logan walked past her and stared out at the horizon line before he spoke. When he did, his words took Emma by surprise. "You're stayin' on the team. At least for now." Emma's eyes widened in disbelief.

"W-what?"

"Look, if there's any chance at all that, once we find Jean, we can stop that thing inside of her, then we have to take it. If not…then I guess we can kiss the world as we know it goodbye."

Emma stared at Logan's back as they stayed in silence. Was he seriously saying this? "Logan…"

"Don't think this changes anything between us, Frost," he said, and Emma drew back a little. "This doesn't change the fact that you lied to me and the entire team." He turned to face her and his face showed no emotion. There was only a business-like composure to his features. But Emma knew better. She could see even without reading his mind that he was still hurt. She'd say something-anything-to help him, but there were no words that could be spoken, and no apology would accepted.

"I see," she said simply, not knowing what else _to_ say.

Where they had just gotten to know one another-or so Logan had thought-now there was awkwardness to their close proximity. Logan felt as though he was staring traitor in the eyes, but he also knew the reasons for her actions were justified, if not a bit misguided. And even if she had lied to them, he couldn't erase the emotions she had stirred within him and those short, precious moments they'd spent together just before…just before he'd told her he loved her…

Emma felt the same, only she felt complete guilt. She didn't see Logan as the enemy…She saw herself as the enemy. She wondered how she could have messed this up so badly. At the beginning, it had been all about the Phoenix, nothing else taking any kind of priority in her agenda. She'd never planned on falling in love with the savage Wolverine. Now she had and there was no way that she could change the past. Emma was grateful to him for at least giving her a chance, seeing the logic in her plan. She was sure none of them wanted the world to end. But what if after the Phoenix was gone-if the plan worked-Logan refused to see her again? Could she live with that? Or would she rather the world burn to ashes?

Logan turned back to the ocean leaving Emma's eyes to show her true emotions. The simple fact was that she loved Logan. There was absolutely nothing else she wanted in the entire world now except for his complete forgiveness. The world could be destroyed, the ruins buried in ashes, she didn't care. All she wanted was Logan's love and forgiveness.

At that moment, she didn't care what Logan had said. He may not think that what they had shared for that short time mattered anymore, but Emma wasn't willing to let those moments go. She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder as she fought not to cry. She was Emma Frost, she could be stronger than that.

"Logan, I know you think what happened between us doesn't matter anymore, but I don't want to let it go. I know what I did was wrong. I should have just told you the truth in the first place. But Logan, what else could I do? If I would have known then how much I would come to love you and the others, I'd never have lied to you. You have to believe this, Logan. Right now, I'd give up everything just to know that you feel the same. Though I don't blame you if you never want to see me again after all of this is over." She held him tighter. "I'm not looking for a pity party, so don't mistake me. I only want you to know how I truly feel. I love you, Logan…And that will never change."

Logan couldn't move. He was frozen in place as Emma held him, speaking-he knew-from her heart. He didn't want to say goodbye either, but how could he trust her? He'd made the mistake of trusting her once. He couldn't just be so careless again. But…as much as he hated to admit it…he still loved her as well. Was he willing to throw it all away? Which way was the right path? Should he trust her and risk heartbreak again? Or should he say goodbye and live the rest of his life wondering if that were the right choice?

He sighed mentally as he thought of all the times he'd come so close to happiness with a woman before. Each time, it never worked. Each time, he was either stabbed in the back or left because of some other force that he had no control over. What made him think this time would be any different? He was Wolverine: a loner. Perhaps he was always meant to stay that way.

Logan closed his eyes. But God it felt so good in her arms. He knew she wasn't trying, but he felt that familiar desire begin to burn within him again. He tried to fight it, but it was useless. He searched and searched for words to answer hers, but for once, he was utterly speechless. He couldn't commit himself to her, but he couldn't let her go either, could he? She seemed genuinely sorry and hurt, but then again, she seemed honest, like she actually wanted to be an X-Man. But he knew that was a lie.

"Frost…" He growled, unable to come up with a solution to his impossible dilemma. He was more than frustrated, his heart screaming one thing, his head screaming another. He knew he shouldn't give into her, he'd made that mistake already. But damn it, he still loved her. As foolish and as stupid as it seemed after all she'd done, he loved her. He growled again and squeezed his eyes shut, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Logan…I love you…"

He couldn't help it: it was just too much. Logan whirled and took her into his arms, kissing her like he'd never kissed a woman before. In that kiss, there was the voice of a thousand emotions: anger, frustration, confusion, love, hatred, lust, want, need. Emma could read all these emotions without even trying. It was like Logan was screaming into her ear as he kissed her. She couldn't hold back tears anymore as she felt the same confusion and turmoil that Logan was feeling, as well as her own. Her hands rested weakly on his chest, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes.

She hated crying. She hadn't cried since she was a child. But as of late, she was an emotional wreck, distraught about Logan finding out the truth, finally telling him and having him reject her, now knowing full well that he was still in love with her, but split on the issue of trust. He loved and hated her at the same time. How could she live knowing that?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I'm sorry I've abandoned Fanfic for so long...I'm finally updating this story and I WILL finish it! Dx I know you've all been wanting me to, and I don't want to disappoint anyone...so here you go! =3 Please review.

Logan continued to kiss her as if he'd die if his lips ever left hers. Emma ached so badly she wanted to fall to her knees and cry. This wasn't right…not when he didn't trust her. She pulled back having to fight against him and the destructive force of his mouth and looked into his eyes.

Their eyes locked for a long time as Logan slowly went from a state of absolute want and need-the most primitive sense of the words-to a state of complete anger. Emma didn't try to speak to him. She didn't know what to say. Angry and hurt, Logan pushed her aside and began to walk back down the beach along the shoreline.

She followed him with her eyes for a few moments before she called to him, weakly. "Logan…"

He kept walking angrily. "Whatever you're gonna say, I don't want to hear it," he growled.

"But Logan-"

"No!"

Desperate, she ran after him. When she reached him, she grabbed his shoulder. He looked at her with dark eyes, the beautiful blue color of them now as steely and sharp as razor blades.

"Logan, please…" she pled. "I…I can't go on like this. I love you. And I know you feel that you can't trust me, but I promise you that I'd give anything just to go back…No…I'd do anything right now to show you how much I care for you. I know you don't want an apology. But God knows I don't want to lose you, Logan." She pressed closer to him, her mouth so close to him that he could feel her warm breath against his neck and face. "I love you…"

Logan gritted his teeth and bit back angry remarks. He couldn't deny that he loved her…But he sure as Hell wasn't going to admit it either. He couldn't-he wouldn't. Never again. "No," he said again.

"What do I have to do to convince you?" she begged. "I'll do anything-anything at all." One of her hands rested on his chest and she ran it down to his belly and back again causing a painful heat to course through his entire body. His groin tightened at her touch.

He grabbed her hand with a growl of frustration and flung her to the side. She stumbled, but didn't fall, turning to watch him again in desperation.

"There aint' a damn thing you can do. You don't have my trust now and you never will. You screwed it up…For good. That's the last time I let a woman cheat me."

Logan couldn't stand in one spot for very long. He had to move, and he had to get away from her again. Being near her was definitely not good. Hell, it didn't really matter if he were with her or on the other side of the island. No matter what he did, it felt wrong. Completely wrong. He walked again with heavy footsteps across the hot, shimmering sand. He had no destination-he didn't care as long as he was far away from this shoreline and far away from her. He would not allow her to control him again! Her words, her eyes, her touch; all of them served to manipulate him. Well, he wasn't going to fall for her act again.

Emma's own mounting frustration was getting the better of her-overwhelming her to the point that she could no longer keep her emotions in check. Like Logan, her entire being seemed to scream at her. She wanted him. She needed him. She needed him to trust her. She would do anything to get him back-anything. Pain, loneliness, desire; they all combined to unleash a whirlwind within her. She would not let him leave her.

She braced herself, her feet spread apart, a fighter's expression molding her features into that of a warrior. She sent a psychic blast at Logan, hitting him full in the back and sending him sprawling forward with a grunt.

"What in the-?" Logan flipped over and sat up, facing her. "What the hell are you doin'?"

"This is ridiculous, Logan. You can't deny what we both feel. Why run from it?"

The burly man got to his feet to face the blond telepath who had attacked him, a low, dangerous growl escaping him. "I feel nothing for you, Frost. What I _thought_ I felt for you was a mistake; a result of being on this God forsaken island too damn long…I don't need you, I don't want you, I feel nothing toward you except hatred. I hate you…I hate everything about you, and the sooner we get out of this place, the better I'll be."

"That's a lie. You don't hate me. I can see your true desires in your eyes. I can see your thoughts, or have you forgotten my little power to read people quite easily?"

"Think what you want, but you mean nothing to me. You never did."

"Am I to assume, then, that you say 'I love you' to any woman you happen to make love to? Come now, Logan, I thought Wolverine was heartless."

"Frost…" he warned with another low growl, this one giving off the, 'say one more word, and it'll be the last thing you ever do' connotation. "Don't test me…You're already pushin' it…"

"Am I? I do believe you told me quite a few times that you loved me. I know you do. I can see it all without reading a single thought beneath that wild, black hair of yours…"

A snarl this time. He leapt at her, knocking her to the ground just before she shifted to her diamond form. He had her trapped, her arms pinned so she couldn't touch him. She managed to get a knee up between his legs however, and when he reeled back in pain, letting go of her hands, she caught his face with her fist, sending him to one side. She quickly rolled in the other direction and stood.

Logan managed to quell the pain, and, he too, stood up to face her. "You little bitch!" he ground out through clenched teeth before he charged at her again, his fist poised to strike. When he did, she blocked the blow with one arm, pushing his fist to the side. He tried to strike with the other fist, but she did the same thing. The next time he tried it, she brought up a foot to shove it into his stomach, forcing him backwards. Again, he came at her, and this time she spun and kicked him in the side, sending him sprawling onto the sand once more. She would not let him win this battle. She had to get him back somehow, and if this were the only way to make Logan see the truth, then so be it.

Logan was quickly growing tired of this game. What the hell was she trying to pull anyway? He leapt to his feet, animalistic sounds the only verbal response Emma received. She hurriedly formulated a plan in her mind; one that was sure to gain her what she wanted…

She threw a fist toward him with all the force she could muster, and just as she had thought, Logan caught her fist in one hand. She aimed the other fist straight for his face and he grabbed that one in the other hand. In her diamond form, Emma was just as strong, if not stronger than, Wolverine. The two of them were locked in a battle of strength to see who would back down first. Emma was sure she would win this, though not in a manner than anyone could have foreseen.

Knowing his hands had a tight grip on hers, Emma threw her arms backward. Unable to resist the force with which he'd pushed against her, Logan now fell forward, the weight of his body knocking against Emma as the two of them fell back onto the beach, Logan now above the determined blond-haired temptress as she reverted back to her original form. He had let go of her hands on instinct to try to catch himself, and now he saw too late that she'd trapped him.

Emma's arms found their way around his broad back as she looked up into the feral eyes of the animal above her. He was her wild animal to tame, and she knew she could do it. She had told Logan that she had trained her entire life to be able to properly contain the Phoenix when the time came for them to release it. If she could handle a force like that, then how could she not be able to handle this brute? She was a strong woman indeed, and she never gave up what she wanted without a fight. She wasn't about to start now.

Logan went to push away from her, but he was a mili-second too slow. Before he could do anything to escape, her soft, kissable lips had come up to meet his. He was unable to resist her skilled mouth, though he tried his damnedest. In the end, though, he found himself kissing her with a hunger that could not be subdued. Growls of both anger and yearning were heard from Logan now as Emma held him close against her.

One of her legs bent upward, her inner thigh rubbing against his hip, stirring the fire within him. She would unleash the beast if she had to, but she wasn't looking to seduce him. She merely wanted to remind him of their shared attraction to one another, and to prove to him that neither of them could escape it.

Her hands roamed over his back and shoulder blades, deep, long moans leaving her lips and reverberating against his. His kisses were fierce and hard, all of his emotions pouring into her very being just like before. She could once again hear his thoughts screaming inside her head; the thoughts of anger and want and need and pain and agony and love…And denial.

Emma pulled her mouth away from Logan's and trailed warm kisses over his neck, the skin rough against her lips from the prickly stubble. She didn't mind, though. She liked the rough, manly type, and he definitely fit the category.

"You can't deny this, Logan…You can't deny how perfect this feels…" she whispered. "You can't run from something that feels this right…"

Logan's eyes were shut tight as he wrestled with himself, trying to tell himself this was all wrong. None of this was right-it couldn't be. "No…quit it…" he growled.

"I won't quit unless you really want me to…which you don't…"

"Emma…" He growled at his lapse in sense when he said her first name, then corrected himself. "Frost…Get the hell off of me…"

"You're on top of me…" she breathed, running her tongue over the part of his cheek that wasn't covered by his sideburn.

Logan didn't move. He couldn't. He tried to reason with himself-to demand that he get up right in that instant. Yet his body did not respond to his brain's orders. Instead, his mouth found the warm skin of her neck and throat. Emma gasped silently at the intimate contact. It had been a few weeks since the two of them had known the sweet caresses of the other, and now she was feeling deprived of the sensations. She wanted it to continue…

However, she knew that if she didn't stop it, he would accuse her of false intentions later, saying she'd seduced him. Emma wasn't going to make another mistake that would cost her what little sliver of opportunity she had to win Logan's whole heart back.

She lay her head back, her hands moving between them and pressing against his well-muscled chest, asking him to stop his current actions. "Logan…"

He didn't heed her words, so she pushed a bit harder.

"Logan, stop…"

He felt her hands pressing into him and heard her voice, but it didn't seem to register to him. She had to push harder still in order to get him to raise his head away from her tender neck as it tingled with ecstatic sensation.

Logan now finally seemed to come back to reality. Emma saw that his eyes has changed from cold and steely to soft and full of hunger. Now they slowly shifted back to steely once more as he gazed down at her. His breathing was heavy, much like hers, but his mouth began to form a hard line again, his breathing becoming less noticeable until he looked-and felt-like a stone statue above her. His expression was hard and unfeeling, his eyes holding an eerie darkness within them.

The silence between the two was unnerving and Emma began to feel as if she now had a need to be concerned. For a long time, neither of them said a word, their eyes locked as if searching for some secret that lay deep inside the soul of the person opposite them. Her heart began to pound hard in her chest, wanting the silence to end, but not knowing how to break it peacefully.

Finally, Logan swiftly rose to his feet again and turned toward the horizon. His mannerisms seemed to suggest that nothing out of the ordinary had gone on between them, not now, nor at any other point in time. Emma sat up slowly, her face flushed from the heat of their intimate moment only a few mere minutes ago, her heart rate still uneven-unsteady. She looked up at his back curiously, wondering what he would do now.

When he spoke, though, it was with indifference. "It's getting late. We should find something to eat, then get some rest. It's been a long day." He spared her not even the slightest glance as he walked past her back up the beach to find food for an evening meal. E

mma didn't know whether to be thankful for his quietness (it could be acceptance that he didn't hate her after all), or worried that he would just pretend that there was absolutely nothing between the pair. She didn't move until Logan had long since gone into the forest. She just stared blankly out to sea, trying to make sense of what exactly had just happened.

"Uh…What exactly just happened?" questioned a very confused Bobby.

"It's simple…" said Rogue, still not sure if she could believe everything they were seeing on this screen. "Logan obviously doesn't trust Emma anymore-and I don't blame him. Now he's regretting having any kind of feelings for her. Emma wants to win his trust back, but let's face it; it's Logan. That's not an easy thing to do. She's trying to show him that they belong together…And Logan's caught between loving her and not trusting her."

"So…wait…Wolverine is really _in love?_"

"I don't know if I believe this or not…" said Kitty, studying the screen like Rogue.

"Hm, well, it's certainly not like Logan to…Well, we've all seen how those two don't get along…"

"No kidding," said Bobby. "This is just a dream they're having, though, right? Doesn't mean it reflects reality…does it?"

"Well," said Forge. "The collars are meant to simulate both dreams and reality. The dream they're in is a result of what really goes on in their minds…So…"

"So," summarized Kitty. "Whatever they say or do here is what they would really say or do if it were really actually happening."

Bobby's face took on a look of stunned disbelief. "I don't know if I believe all this could-or would-actually happen. Wolverine and Emma? There's no way."

"Well apparently there is a way," said Rogue, unsure of what to make of all of this.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry it's not very long this time, but I wanted to stop it where I did for a reason…XD MUAHAHA! Oh, and btw, if anyone makes vids for YouTube or knows anyone who does, it would be awesome if someone made a vid for Logan and Emma to Eminem and Rihanna's "I Love the Way You Lie." Just sayin. =D

After ten minutes or so had passed, Emma found the will to move, dragging herself from her dazed, nearly unconscious state. She couldn't just sit there, vegetating in the orange light of the evening sun, moping about the challenge of winning back the heart of the man she loved, body and soul. She knew before she'd even told him the truth that that particular task was going to take much time and persuasion. Emma vowed her efforts would not leave her fruitless, so why worry?

Shaking off the despair and longing, she rose to her feet with a placid look about her features. She decided that while Logan went to find them food, she could go and gather more firewood in order to cook whatever he brought back.

As she wandered through the trees, picking up decent size sticks and twigs, she paused at the little fresh water stream to peer down at her reflection. In doing so, she realized, not for the first time, how much she missed civilization. She wanted, no, she _needed_ a real bath with soap and a loofa. She thought of her vanilla bean body wash-the kind with the little cleansing beads that helped to make her skin soft and fresh and clean. She thought of her berry blossom shampoo that left her hair smelling of wild flowers and a mild fruity flavor and, gave the silky, yellow tresses the vibrant sheen that caught the eye of any passer-by.

Running her tongue over her teeth, she figured a toothbrush would definitely come in handy, as well as a real hairbrush. It was maddening to have to comb her hair with her fingers each morning when she woke. Her clothes-torn now out of necessity and made into a new outfit-could certainly stand to be washed. Actually, she wouldn't have minded a new pair of clothes entirely.

Running a hand through her hair, she found it had grown longer. Thinking of Logan, she could attest that his hair had grown as well, making him look more the savage beast that he was known to be, his facial hair slowly transforming his features and adding to the animalistic appearance. Contemplating the image, though she liked him this way, she supposed he could go for a trim as well.

With a drawn out sigh, she tilted her head back to look up through the canopy to the hazy orange and golden sky above and wondered where the other X-Men could possibly be. Honestly, it shouldn't take weeks to fix the jet. Even with the major damage it had sustained, Forge and Beast should have been able to fix it right away, especially if Emma and Logan were stranded on an Island in the middle of the Pacific.

Emma closed her eyes, inhaling deeply to calm her slowly forming irritation at the seeming incompetence of the X-Men. She knew, however, that wherever the rest of the team was, they were trying their hardest to get back to rescue their lost comrades.

She didn't look at her reflection anymore as she walked back toward the beach, having gathered plenty of firewood. Logan still wasn't there by the time she returned, so she set to work on arranging the sticks in a cone shape before getting two rocks in order to light the pile. Once she'd got the flame to an appropriate size, she sat up, dusting off her hands, her head turning to the forest line.

Logan's footsteps could be heard, and she watched the trees as he came closer. Finally, he emerged from the shadows, and Emma took in his features carefully. His eyes never met hers, simply looked past her, or at the fire, or the hut or the ocean. They seemed rather empty though, she noted, disheartened. He had that same look of indifference as when he had left her an hour or so ago.

So that was it. He was going to pretend there was nothing between them. She could see that he would not treat her as a friend, or even as an enemy. By the relaxed, yet guarded manner of his gait and the way he carried himself, it seemed as if he would only pay her the sort of attention that he might pay to a man he had just sat down beside at a bar, or to a mangy old stray dog that he had to tolerate simply because it wouldn't stop hanging around.

Sighing mentally, preparing herself for what lay ahead, Emma looked down and saw a bird, dead in his arms. No fish. No eggs…But a bird this time. It was a colorful bird, too…She could tell she probably wouldn't eat much of it. She wasn't all that hungry anyway.

"Welcome back, Logan," she said politely as he sat down opposite her and began to clean the bird in preparation for cooking.

"Yep," he said without the slightest glance in her direction.

Emma, unsure of what to say during this evidently awkward moment of silence, contended herself to watching him tear the feathers away from the bird. When he got out the pocket knife to cut away the skin, though, she couldn't watch. So instead, she turned her attention out to the sea as it danced in the dim evening light, a thin gold band all that was left of the sun as it glittered off of the water closest to the skyline.

It wasn't too long before Logan finished his work of separating the inedible parts of the bird from the meat, and Emma saw him through the corner of her eye as he bent to grab a stick to tie the bird to. He set it against the ring of rocks to cook, then stood, wandering away from the fire. Her eyes followed him, but she didn't move her head for a moment. Then she turned to fully face his retreating figure.

"Where are you off to?" she asked casually, trying to be as indifferent at the moment as Logan.

Logan did not answer her. He simply walked to the tree line until he found the tree he had slept in a few times before. He stopped and stared up at it for a few seconds before climbing the great trunk with the aid of his metal claws, finally coming to sit on the thick, heavy branch that had become comfortable and familiar to him as a resting place. Then he leaned back against the trunk and closed his eyes, pretending not to notice her.

Emma sighed and experienced again that feeling of longing and loneliness. She thought of Logan's lips on hers, against her skin, his hard, protective body over her, his rough hands caressing her with both love and passion. Her eyes drifted once again back to the ocean as she remembered the short time she'd had in his arms. She wanted that again…They had both been so extremely happy…

They could be happy again, if only she could get Logan to come back to her. The question was, how?

Emma didn't know. All she could do was try to appeal to the impossible man who now sat in a tree, pretending as if she didn't exist. If only the X-Men would hurry and rescue them already…Then since Logan had agreed to her initial plan or action, they would work even harder to find Jean and bring this madness to an end at last.

Her eyes cast their stunning blue gaze up to the sky, wondering when-if ever-they would indeed be rescued. She was ready to go home. Instead of finding a perfect, bright blue sky, however, a vast, dark cloud was approaching the island. Not only that, but it was moving excessively fast. It wouldn't be much longer before she and Logan saw a storm. Emma turned and called back to the man dozing in the tree.

"Logan! You might want to come down from there. There's a storm coming!"

He opened one eye to acknowledge her, then looked up to the sky above the sea. She was right; a storm was headed their way. It didn't matter much to him though. If she was so worried, she could go find refuge someplace else. He closed his eye to return to his dozing, paying her no more of his attention.

Emma watched as he hardly took interest in the coming weather. Thunder began to rumble low in the darkness and somewhere inside her, she felt that something worse than a regular storm was approaching.

"Logan," she called again, however he continued to ignore her. Irritation flared within her at the man's stubbornness. She set her jaw, her face full of an unquestionable authority as she walked quickly to the tree in which he dozed. Lightening flashed out over the ocean behind her and the thunder rolled again. "Logan, come down from there."

Logan mentally cursed the woman below him, wondering why she couldn't just shut her mouth and leave him be. He didn't feel like acknowledging her presence at the moment.

Emma's ire rose even further and she glared up at him. "Logan, for God's sake, listen to what I'm telling you. A storm is coming, Mr. Metal-Bones, so unless you want to be a lightening rod, I'd suggest you come down from there."

"Dammit, Frost, would you stay out of my business? You think I'm not used to storms?" he growled.

"Never said you weren't, you bull-headed man! Excuse me for not wanting to see you fried!"

"I'm fine, Frost. If you're so scared, why don't you go find a nice cave to hide in until it's over?"

Rain began to fall upon their heads, light and refreshing, but Emma felt as if the drops would evaporate right on her skin. Her blood was boiling with intolerance.

"Don't be stupid, come down."

"No…"

"And why not?"

"Cause I want you to leave me alone. Now go take cover from the rain already and leave me be."

The rain fell harder and the wind began to blow Emma's hair around her slender face as she looked up at Wolverine. The man was impossible.

"If your metal bones don't attract the lightening, your sour mood will. Your dreadful attitude is probably what's bringing this storm in the first place."

Logan opened his eyes and stared down at her with a contradicting kind of malice. "Dreadful attitude? Gee, wonder why in the world I'd have an attitude. Let's see, maybe someone lied to me. Maybe someone on this very island is the reason the X-Men are in this mess in the first place. Maybe that SAME person made me trust them with more than a mutual partnership, then turned around and stabbed me in the back!"

A loud crack of thunder boomed in their ears and the crack of a tree that had evidently been hit by lightening seemed an even more ominous sound.

"I'm sorry if I had loyalty to another organization that was trying to prevent the destruction of the world!"

"Yeah, sure!"

"Logan, we've been through this! And you agreed to help! Fighting about this will not do a damn bit of good!"

"You're right! Because you already fucked it up so bad that nothing will help it now!"

As the argument went on, the storm grew more and more out of control. The two were glaring at one another with what seemed like complete loathing.

"H-hey…" said Bobby. "Did someone make that storm?" He looked at Ororo, but she shook her head.

"It must be a result of the inner turmoil within the two of them," said Beast.

"Really?" asked Bobby. "Wow, some storm."

"Yeah, no kiddin'," agreed Rogue. "Must be a lot of emotion behind it."

"That's obvious," said Kitty. "Look at their faces. Something definitely seems off about those two."

"Sh," commanded Beast.

"People make mistakes, Logan! I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

"I don't even know if you really mean that. How can I believe anything you say?"

"Because, Logan, I love you, you damned fool! If I didn't, I wouldn't have told you now would I?"

"You ain't never loved me! And I ain't never loved you! So save your breath, woman!"

"That's a lie! I can see it in your eyes even now when you deny it."

"Really? Cause all I feel is hate for you, Frost."

"Liar! Why must you deny it? You don't always have to be so bull-headed and emotionless!"

"Yeah, I do!"

"No!"

"You don't know a thing about me!"

"Then tell me!"

A savage growl escaped Logan as the thunder screamed louder than the pair arguing at the edge of the forest. Waves crashed hard against the shoreline, overtaking the little fire and putting it out with ease. The angry wind stormed about the island, shaking the trees, forcing leaves from their branches and out to the sea, never to touch land again. Animals took shelter in holes or caves, or nests. Another tree was struck and with a loud, ear-splitting crack, it fell onto the beach a few hundred yards away from Emma and Logan.

Logan was getting tired of looking back into the face of the woman who had betrayed him far beyond the reaches of winning his trust back. He felt this erg to scar that too beautiful face of hers so he wouldn't dream about it anymore. He wanted her gone from his life. Gone, so he could never again be humiliated by the memory of her deceit.

With another growl, he jumped from the tree, forcing her to the ground, her breath knocked out of her chest. Emma gasped for air and ended up choking on sand that blew into her open mouth.

Logan was sick of all of this madness. It had to end, here and now. This woman would pay for what she'd done to him-pay for all her wrongs, and it would be Logan himself who would personally deliver her ultimate punishment. After all, it was HIM she had betrayed with her clever lies and deceptive charms. She was no angel. She was the devil in disguise and he would be sure that she would never make a fool of him again.

The X-Men watching all gasped in utter terror. As the lightening flashed, Logan's claws shot from one hand as he raised them to strike. With a growl, he swung…

Emma screamed his name as the inevitable happened. Blue electric was drawn straight to those long, metal claws and Logan's agonizing pain was nearly as loud as the thunder. Emma had been able to quickly transform to her diamond form in order to not take the shock herself, however, she found there was nothing she could do but watch the horrifying scene unfold above her.

Wolverine's body shook violently with the force of the deadly electricity, his arm still raised, acting as a channel for all the lightening in the area. His face was twisted as a tortured wail continued to burst from somewhere deep inside him. Emma sat up and tried to push him off of her. Finally, she did, and she stepped in front of the lightening, shielding him from more pain. She gave a scream at the force of it before the bolt broke.

Emma fell forward onto her hands and knees beside Logan, gasping again for air.

"Logan!" she yelled. "Logan!" She shook him, her eyes desperate and full of inexpressible fear. "Logan, wake up! Come on!"

Crystalline tears fell from Emma's eyes when she received no response from the unconscious man as he lay there, his skin burned, his hair fried and wet, his clothes in mere tatters. His mouth was slightly agape, his eyes refusing to open.

"No! Logan! LOGAN!"

The screen went blank.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry about being slow to update. I've been writing a lot of my own stories and poems too, for friends and things. =] But no worries, I do plan on finishing this. Plus, I had to really think about how I wanted to do this chapter. I wasn't sure, and I'm still not positive this is the best I could have done, but it's what I thought of. So I hope you enjoy the update! =D

Blank expressions marked the faces of the X-Men in the subbasement as each one stared at the large black screen in front of them. Dumbstruck, it took a few seconds before anyone could find their voice. At last, Bobby spoke up, asking the question that had been raised in all their heads.

"Uh…What just happened?" The boy blinked his confusion, then looked around for an answer.

Unfortunately, no one had an answer to give. Even Beast and Forge seemed taken aback.

"Eh…Looks like something went wrong with your collar things," said Rogue.

"Perhaps," said Beast, pushing buttons, trying to get the machine to work again. "It won't respond to the external devices. You may be right. The collars must have short circuited."

"Well that stinks," pouted Bobby, crossing his arms over his chest. "It was really getting interesting."

A familiar scream came to their ears and the X-Men tipped their heads upward, their eyes wide in terror.

"What on Earth was that?" said Ororo.

"Logan!" cried Kitty. "It sounds like he's hurt!" She ran to a pile of old storage crates and leapt up onto them, jumping up to phase through the ceiling to go to Wolverine's aid. The others headed to the elevator, hurrying to catch up with Shadowcat.

Kitty ran up the stairs and down the hall to the right until she came to Logan's room. She kicked the door open and ran to him as he clutched at the thing around his neck that was shocking him. He continued to scream, then he stifled it with a growl, snapping the collar in half. When Kitty tried to touch him, she flew backward, receiving a jolt as well.

The others arrived at the door, Kitty trying to get back to her feet, and saw Logan lying there on the bed, twitching. He was growling low, the cracked halves of the collar laying on the bed beside him.

"Logan…?" whispered Kitty. "Logan…Are you ok…?"

Ororo stepped into the room and went to Logan's side, touching his cheek gently. "Logan…?" she called softly in almost a whisper. But even that was too loud.

Wolverine's eyes flew open and he grabbed her wrists, rolling and pinning her on the bed with a snarl of surprised fury. "Who the hell do you think you are, bub?" Then he stopped and looked down into the face of his friend. "Storm?" The two stared at each other in shock for a few short moments before Logan released her and jumped back off and away from the bed. He looked around.

"What the hell is going on here?" he asked, looking around at all of the faces crowded into his bedroom.

"We…" began Kitty. "We thought you were…"

They all turned to face the door as the blonde telepath made her entrance, her eyes an icy blue, and in her hand was the collar. "Would someone mind telling me what this thing is that I found around my neck?"

She looked to Wolverine and she didn't even have time to sigh in relief that it had all just been a terrible dream before he had her pinned against a wall, two of his metal claws on either side of her neck, the third claw slowly sliding from his middle knuckle, stopping at her throat. He growled again and she looked down into his dark blue eyes, so full of rage that her heart nearly stopped. "Logan," she breathed.

"I know all your little secrets Frost. So tell us all the truth. Tell us who you really are!"

Emma was shell shocked. She had no idea what to say. It had been just a dream. Just a dream. Hadn't it? But he looked just as angry, just as furious, just as full of loathing as he had as soon as her dream had ended. Why? Could he really know the truth? Then she looked inside herself to see if her feelings for him had been just a dream, too.

They hadn't. As her eyes locked with his, she felt the exact same love and desperation as she had on that island in the middle of the Pacific. If it had really been just a dream…then she would have woken up slapping herself and laughing at the idiocy of something so ridiculous. But she wasn't laughing. She was afraid and scared. Just like in the dream…

His gaze only slipped from hers for a second to see what she held in her hand. He grabbed it with his free hand and examined it. The other X-Men held their breath, afraid of what would happen now. What had they done?

Realization dawned slowly in his eyes as he stared at the collar and he yelled for Forge with an angry cry. "Forge! Get in here now!"

"Uh, he's…uh, in the subbasement," stuttered Bobby.

"Hank!" he looked to Beast with anger, not releasing Emma. "You mind explaining this to me?" He held up the collar with a furious scowl.

"Uh, well uh…It's…Um…You see…"

"I know exactly what this is! It's that invention you two have been workin' on! What's she doin' with it?" He looked back to Emma. "You took it, didn't you?"

Emma's face flushed with indignation. "I did no such thing! I woke up with it on! I didn't steal it!"

Logan seemed to remember something and he looked back at his bed, finding the broken halves of a second collar laying beside his pillow. Slowly, his head turned to the other X-Men where the stood looking guilty and afraid.

"Scott!" yelled Emma as Summers stepped into the doorway, having been awoken by the yelling and screaming.

"What's…going on?" he asked sleepily.

"That's what I wanna know!" snarled Logan. "So spill it! One of you! What the hell just happened?"

The X-Men stuttered, trying to find words all at once, then Rogue finally stepped forward. "I…I went down to the subbasement to check on things and…well…They'd put those collars on you and Emma and…I tried to tell em' it was bad! I tried, but they wouldn't listen!"

Kitty elbowed her in the ribs and Rogue gave a quiet "ow," before pushing Kitty away.

"And? What's the rest of the story?" demanded Logan. "Someone tell me. I see guilt in all your faces. What. Did. You. Do."

When no one offered a reply, he released Emma, marching over to Beast and holding up the collar between them. "I know what this thing does, Hank. It can project a desired image into someone's mind, or it can take images from someone's mind; a safe, effective way to communicate without anyone overhearing. Now why did Frost and I have these things on? Tell me!"

Beast held up his hands. "Alright, alright! We were just…wondering if you two would ever get along, so as a sort of joke, we put them on you and made you believe you were on an island. We…didn't expect it to go as far as it did…"

"So…being stranded on an island was all a lie? The mission with the Brotherhood? Everything?"

"Well, those where the only instances that were…false…The rest of it was…all you two."

The hair on the back of Logan's neck rose .He had been played with. Again.

Again…

He looked back at Frost. "Then…You all know what she did," he said in a growl, the word "she" barely spoken through clenched teeth.

Emma looked back at him helplessly, then to Scott and back again. What now? It seemed that the X-Men had played a head game with her and Logan-quite literally-and now they knew her darkest secret. She couldn't even be angry with them. Oh Heavens, no…She was too frightened. Just like in that dream-or trick rather-she was so afraid now-afraid of losing Logan once again. No storm would be there this time to stop him from striking her with those metal monstrosities. She would be dead…And she would die by the hand of the man she'd come to love. The circumstances may have been a lie, but as she looked back upon the little island venture, there wasn't anything that she would have done differently. She loved Logan now. And now she would lose him forever.

"Yes…" Beast spoke softly, his head bent. "But…I think…" he looked at Emma's hurt-stricken face and remembered what he had seen-what they had all seen. "I think Miss. Emma has proved her loyalty to the team by being honest…"

"Wait, what's going on?" asked Scott, now knowing something was wrong besides someone having a bad dream. He recognized the fury in Logan's face and voice, and he saw the terror, the anguish, and the loss within Emma's. "What am I missing? Who did what?"

Logan's mouth curved into a humorless smile, his eyes clouded with malice, his voice laced with it. "Your girlfriend is a liar…"

"Logan…No…" breathed Emma. She didn't want Scott to hear this…She didn't want him to ever know the truth. The poor man had suffered enough.

"It's her fault-"

"Logan…"

"-That Jean is missing."

"What?" shouted Scott, pushing into the room and looking between the two. "You can't be serious Logan. Emma's trying to help us FIND Jean."

"Yeah, for her own personal gain! Not for ours! It was a setup! She tried to take Jean away from us, but her plan backfired and when Jean tried to protect herself, it caused the explosion. Jean vanished and the only reason Frost is here is so she can use Cerebro to track her down again and take her away from us!"

"Logan no!" cried Emma in desperation. This wasn't good. Now she was facing all of the X-Men, not just Logan. It was over…

Scott's stricken face turned to her and she knew that his eyes were angry, upset and disbelieving beneath those dark sunglasses. "Emma…Is that true?"

She bit her lip, but did not answer.

"Answer me, Emma! Is it true?"

"It…It's true…" She lowered her gaze in shame, then raised it again in defense. "But you have to understand! Logan-tell them! About the Phoenix Force-"

"You lied to me!" yelled Scott, wanting to blast that pretty head right off her shoulders. "You lied to all of us! You betrayed us!"

"Scott, listen!" she pled, knowing it was useless. She knew this would happen and she had no way to stop the inevitable. They just might kill her before they revoke her membership from the X-Men and throw her out on the street.

"I don't want to listen! It's your fault Jean is gone! I can't believe this! I trusted you, Emma! I trusted you! We all trusted you!"

"No, just listen, please-"

"I'm done listening! You just-don't even say another word!"

"Scott!"

"Don't!"

"Enough!" screamed Ororo, a loud crack of thunder heard from outside, created by her mounting frustration at the situation before her. She looked at Logan, then Emma, then Scott as she spoke firmly. "We all saw what happened and we all heard Emma's explanation of her motives for trying to get her hands on Jean. It was wrong of her to do what she's done. But she came clean-out of love for you, Logan-and it is clear that her motives-though misguided-were not entirely devious. She was trying to save the world from the Phoenix."

Logan wanted to argue, to protest, but he could not. He had seen the truth with his own eyes. The Phoenix was not a lie. It was real. And it did indeed exist within Jean Grey. But dammit, Frost's betrayal still hurt. He couldn't let it go. He wanted her gone…

Scott looked at Ororo, still angry and confused. He wasn't in the mood for idle chit-chat. He wanted the truth-the whole truth. "What's the Phoenix?" he asked. "What does it have to do with Jean?"

Emma stepped forward and all eyes turned to her. Once again, reluctantly and afraid, she retold the story of the deadly Phoenix Force and it's connection to the X-Man, Jean. Scott refused to believe it. He refused.

"No. Jean is not evil. She would never destroy the world. You're lying. You have to be."

"Scott…" said Emma softly. "Jean would never want to destroy the world. The Phoenix…isn't Jean. It lives within Jean. Separate from her, but dependent on her for survival and maturity."

"I don't believe you," he said again, turning his face away.

"I know it's hard to accept…But I'm telling you the truth. I'm sorry for not being straight forward with all of you before. Dream or no dream, tonight has helped me realize how much I've come to love each of you, and I'd do anything to start over and make the right choices-to tell you the truth as soon as I came to speak to you that day about joining your team. I dreaded telling you because I knew this is how you would react. But now you're aware of who and what I really am and why I really came here."

Silence ensued. No one knew exactly what to say. It was clear that she was being sincere, and all of the X-Men, save for Scott, had seen her emotions unfold little by little, giving them little doubt that she was lying now.

Logan, on the other hand…He couldn't forgive her. Ever. He knew that for a fact. He conceded that he would have to honor his agreement to let her aid them in finding Jean and stopping the Phoenix Force, but he did not have to forgive her. He growled in frustration, angry at Emma, at himself, and the rest of the X-Men. He couldn't believe they had set him up like that. He wasn't sure he could forgive them either. He turned on them all.

"Could you all just…get out of my room already? All of you, just get out of here! I want sleep…Real sleep. With no fucking collars! No fucking lies! No nothing! Just get out of here!"

Knowing that Logan was beyond just tempered, they all hurried from the room, Emma lingering as Logan stood with his back to her, facing his bed. He was shaking mildly with nerves and anger. He was seething. Emma knew she should follow the others and leave him alone, but she couldn't. Silently she stepped behind him and placed a soft hand upon his arm. "Logan…"

It took all his restraint to not throw her across the room. Or better yet, out the damn window. His teeth clenched, his eyes shut tight, he ground out, "What do you want?"

A tear fell to her cheek and down to her chin. There wasn't much she could say. "I know it probably doesn't matter to you anymore…Even though all that was…a dream…possibly…But…I do love you. So God damn much that you could not possibly understand how much my heart hurts inside." Her fingers grasped the sleeve of his shirt as she held back more tears. "Believe me when I say I'd give anything to change what I've done."

She released him and backed toward the door. He didn't move or speak and she stopped in the doorway, watching him for a few long moments, expecting something-an angry yell, a curse, an attack even. But he gave absolutely no response. She lowered her eyes and left the room quietly, shutting the door and leaving him within a dark, empty room.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **AHA! It's a good thing I waited to finish this chapter. I had to watch the X-Men movies before I could figure out what to do with this one. XD Well, here you go!

Emma walked down the hall toward the stairs in a bit of a daze. She could hardly believe what had taken place that night. The X-Men had played a joke on she and Logan, projecting the scenario of the two of them being stranded on an island, and had watched to find out what their actions would be and where it would lead them. She tried to be angry with them-she knew she had a right to be-but common sense told her that they had even more the right to be angry. She had lied to them after all. The others seemed willing to forgive her, though, while only Logan had the appearance of never being able to.

Poor Logan, she thought. Not only had he been betrayed by her, but also by the rest of the X-Men, those few he regarded as friends. How difficult it all must be for him. Emma wished with all her might that there was something she could do to ease his pain, but she knew how foolish the thought was. If she was part of the cause, there was no way she could be part of the resolution.

She arrived at the top of the stairs and peered down at the mutants gathered in the main hall. They looked flustered, and she caught sight of Scott heading for the door.

"Scott, wait! Don't leave!" pled Kitty, clutching at his arm.

"Let me go!" was his sharp reply as he took his arm from her grasp. "I'm getting out of here."

"Where do you plan on going?" questioned Beast.

"Just…away from here!"

"And what will that accomplish?" said Ororo, trying to reason with him. "Running away is never the answer. You should have learned that by now."

"Would you all just leave me alone! I'll be back, ok? Does that make you all happy? I don't know when, but I'll be back. Just let me go!"

No more efforts of resistance came from the others as they watched Scott walk out the door, slamming it behind him. The situation at hand seemed a bit hopeless to all of them, and they bowed their heads in defeat.

"Guess there's no stopping him," said Rogue.

"He'll return to us. We shouldn't worry…" conceded Ororo.

Kitty held her hand in front of her mouth in a gesture of slight distress. "Let's hope so."

"Hey, guys…?" began Bobby, looking at each one of them in turn. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Um…do you think we should really trust Emma?"

They all exchanged glances, except for Rogue. She kept her gaze fixed on the floor as she pondered the question. No one spoke up before she did. "I…I think we can. I mean, we all saw her confession and how afraid she was of losing Logan. She didn't want to lose him or the rest of us. If she didn't care, she…would have kept quiet, you know?"

"Unless it's a setup," said Kitty, a little bitterly. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"I believe her heart is good," said Ororo, stepping between them all. "I agree with Marie. She knew the consequences of her confession and told the truth out of respect and loyalty. She seems ashamed I think, and I believe her when she says she wishes she would have been truthful with us from the start. I say she stays, even if Logan doesn't agree. We need her."

"I'm with Storm," said Beast. "Besides, she obviously knows…more about Jean than we do."

"And Logan?" asked Bobby, concerned. They all averted their eyes, unsure of what to say. In the end, no one gave a response to that question. Only time would tell.

Emma watched the scene unfold in the main hall with a sinking heart. Dear Scott…What a shock it was for him to know that she had been the cause of Jean's disappearance. No doubt he would go looking for her all over again, though it was unlikely he'd find anything. At the same time, Emma felt a sense of relief wash over her, as well as dread. The rest of the team would make sure she stayed even if Logan did not, at least until Jean was located. Perhaps with that given amount of time, she would be able to redeem herself in all their eyes for her treacherous actions. Or maybe not. One could only hope, she supposed.

Alone again. Of course, he shouldn't have expected anything more than what he'd come to know for the entirety of his life-or what he remembered of it at least. No…He knew by now that there was no hope for him ever being anything besides just himself.

It didn't matter that this had felt different. It didn't matter that this hadn't been some obsessive attraction to a beautiful woman; the way he had been attracted to Jean. It didn't matter that this wasn't simply a cry to not be left in the dark, left to scream in the night when his darkest demons came knocking at the doors of his subconscious mind as he slept. It didn't matter that for the first time in his life, his heart was actually breaking.

No. All that mattered was that it was all a lie.

Sitting in the dark among the upturned sheets on his bed, Logan tried desperately to place himself under a degree of control great enough to withstand seeing that woman's face again, for that would be the toughest part about leaving that room. The moonlight poured in through the window, the silvery glow stretching from the end table all the way to the closed door on the opposite wall, yet the peace of that light didn't comfort him the way it might have on another night. It made him angrier because his peace had been destroyed yet again.

With a growl, he reached over and pulled the string to draw the curtains closed, then moved to sit on the edge of the bed, raking his hands through his hair. What was he supposed to do now? Before they had woken from that all-too-real dream-or joke-Logan had been about to kill Emma Frost.

Was it rational? Was he being rational on that island? Looking back, he certainly wasn't regretting nearly decapitating her. In fact, he'd like to finish what he'd started. And that's what bothered him the most.

This wasn't the first time he had been betrayed, oh no. And it wasn't the first time he had wanted to murder someone for their betrayal, or for any other reason. But it was the closest he'd ever come…If he hadn't gotten shocked, who knows what would have happened. Illusion or not, if his claws would have made contact with her pretty neck, she would have died in her sleep from the mental stress.

And what then? Would he have been feeling any remorse at that moment if he had done it? That was the question he searched for an answer to. As difficult as it was proving to be, Logan was trying to look deep into his heart to see if it would have affected him.

He forced himself to imagine her lying on that beach beneath him, his hand raised with his claws extended. He recalled the lightening, the rain pouring down upon both of their bodies as the wind whipped at their hair, her clothes tattered and torn and dirty, his own no better. He imagined bringing his hand down in slow motion, the fear he saw in her eyes-the fear and the regret and the guilt…and the love. He imagined the big, metal claws reaching her throat and slicing it, creating three long gashes deep into her skin, hitting her jugular.

He forced himself to see and feel the blood as it shot from her body, splattering his own skin. It darkened her beautifully blond hair, her soft skin, white as a pearl, like silk beneath his fingertips. He heard the growl, the snarl as he gave into a terrifying killer instinct that took a hold of him like never before.

He saw the whites leave her eyes, her head disconnecting from her body and rolling down the shore leaving a trail of blood as it went…the sea rising up to wash it away.

As he gripped his head with both hands, his forehead nearly to his knees, he fought back a cry of frustration, rage and heartache. He tried to bade the images to leave him, but it proved impossible. His mind replayed the scene over and over, and each time it grew more painful to bear.

Then, out of nowhere, a nearly forgotten voice entered into his head as he saw, once more, his claws separating Emma's head from her body…

"_You're an animal, Logan. You always were and always will be."_

The words of William Striker.

His head shot up, his eyes wide as he met his reflection in the mirror across the room. With a sound somewhere between a growl and a scream, he rose to his feet and ran forward, his metal claws protruding from his knuckles and shattering the glass that held the image of a beast.

He stood there momentarily, his breathing heavy and erratic. Slowly, he raised his hands in front of him, turned them so that his palms were up, the claws retracting once again. His eyes seemed to soften as he saw the deep blue of them reflected in the retreating metal, then vanished. He sank to his knees among the shards of glass. He needed help. Advice. And there was only one person who could talk sense into him.

Charles Xavier lay asleep, as if hibernating within his coma beneath the ultra-thick plastic shield that kept him protected and alive. It had been over a year since the explosion, months since they had journeyed to Genosha to receive him from Magnito and bring him back to the Institute where he could remain safe until he awoke.

Logan had spoken to him often this way. Odd it seemed that while Charles' body remained here, his mind had been transported into the future. At least in that future, he had managed to find Cerebro in order to keep in contact with his X-Men and to advise them when need be.

Wolverine gently touched the dome surrounding the professor, his temper calmed and given way to something more like defeat. He only wished Charles were really with them, body and mind connected.

"Charles?" came his soft, raspy voice in something like a plea. "Charles? Can you hear me? I…I need your help."

No response came to him and he tried again. Still nothing. His hand slowly clenched into a fist against the plastic dome and he closed his eyes, bowing his head in an attempt to control his mounting frustration. He was just about to smash the dome as well when the familiar voice of his old friend drifted to him from somewhere deep inside his mind.

"Logan. I'm here. What is it?"

Suddenly the blue room in the subbasement beneath the Institute fell away, leaving Logan standing in a universe of endless white light. He raised his head, his eyes opening and blinking a few times against the brightness before fixing upon the old man would could now stand on his own two feet. What a blessing it was to be a telepath, Logan thought, then immediately regretted the intrusion of the word into his mind, for it wasn't Xavier's face saw as the thought crossed his mind.

"Charles…"

"Yes, Logan. Now…what troubles you. I sense it's something more…inside your own mind, hm?"

Logan sighed. "Of course you'd pick up on that right away," he muttered.

"So tell me what's wrong."

"Do you have time to talk?" Logan asked, well aware that the future in which Charles found himself wasn't near as tame as the present.

"Yes," replied Xavier patiently, kindly. The old man always seemed to have all the time in the world. "What is on your mind."

Logan shook his head, fighting the agitation. "It's…Frost…" he managed through clenched teeth.

"What about her?" probed the old man.

"She lied to us, Charles. All of us. It's her fault that Jean is missing, it's her fault you're in a coma. She caused the explosion. And she's been living right under our noses. She says she was only trying to protect the world from some force known as the Phoenix, but I don't know if I can believe what she's saying. I mean, I saw the images, she showed me-"

"Ah…" began Xavier, beginning to understand without much explanation. He looked squarely into Logan's eyes, a look that bode no argument. It was perfect persuasion all in itself. "She is not lying, Logan…I know of the Phoenix that lives within our Miss. Jean Grey."

Logan wished he could have been shocked, had hoped Emma had been lying when she said Xavier knew. But she hadn't. "You knew…all along then?"

Charles frowned. "I knew…that it lived within her. Jean is a very special mutant. The only level five mutant in existence, and therefore extremely dangerous."

"Dangerous? You're kidding me. It's just the Phoenix that's dangerous isn't it?"

"You are correct. But your mistake is thinking that Jean and the Phoenix are one in the same. They are separate. I saw this reality when I brought her here, to this school. So I placed mental barriers within her mind to hold back the power of the Phoenix."

"Well…" Shoving a hand through his hair, Logan tried to come to grips with the fact that it was in fact true. "I guess she knew what she was talking about then. But that didn't give her the right to lie to us. How can I trust her, Charles? This disaster is her fault. I told her you placed those barriers there for a reason. She was going to destroy them and release this thing early in an attempt to subdue it herself. What do you think of that?"

Xavier seemed to think for a very long time. Finally, he released a sigh. "I don't know if it would work or not, Logan. Maybe it would. But I have a feeling that it would only work at a great cost."

Logan didn't need Charles to spell it out for him. Someone would die in the end. Whether it be one person, or the entire world, there would be casualties. "What if her releasing the Phoenix is the cause of the future you're in?"

Again, Xavier thought. "You know what, Logan, that makes sense…With all I've seen and heard about what caused all this destruction, it had to be the work of the Phoenix…I'm ashamed to say that I never thought of it before." He shot another serious look straight into Logan's eyes. "If you are asking me if you should trust Emma…if what we now believe to be true is…then yes. You must trust her. You must allow her to tell you everything she knows and to help you."

"I was afraid you'd say that…"

Logan averted his eyes, but Charles did not. He seemed, as usual, to look right through the man before him. As he spoke, it was with a more distant voice, one that seemed to travel across the ages in a way. "I sense there is more clouding your better judgment than simply a question of what is truth, and what is not."

Logan raised his head to meet the professor's eyes, knowing that Xavier probably already knew what the "more" was. "Yeah…well…I guess that's something I have to figure out for myself isn't it?" He raised his hand between them. "Thanks Charles."

Xavier took his hand with a faint smile. "Good luck, Logan. And remember…trust her. You need her."

A double meaning flickered briefly within Logan's thoughts as the illusion of Charles before him vanished, leaving him standing beside the clear plastic dome once again, looking down into the resting man within.


	14. Chapter 14

Walking through the subbasement to the lab, Logan forced himself to breath deeply and steadily. Charles had spoken to him and had been the voice of reason when all Logan could see was his anger and his hate. He was right, as always. Logan had to trust Emma in order to find Jean and keep this Phoenix from destroying the earth. It was time to be a bigger man and push aside his extreme dislike and irritation.

Beast was working at one of the computers when he heard the whoosh of the motion activated doors behind him. He turned, thinking it was Forge and was surprised that it wasn't.

"Logan," he said as the oddly calm Wolverine walked up to him. "Look, about this whole thing…We're really sorry for-"

"Save it, Hank. We'll deal with that later. I want you to find anything you can on the Phoenix." Logan placed his hands on the back of a chair beside Beast, looking at the screen.

"Already on it." Beast turned back to the computer and pulled up the images and articles he'd found. "There isn't much, but there are historical records of a devastating fire that has destroyed civilization numerous times throughout the millennia. It seems that she was in fact telling the truth."

Logan sighed. "Yeah…Guess that means we still need her…"

Beast hesitated, not wanting to stir the delicate fire of Wolverine's temper. All of the X-Men were on thin ice with him now. "Yes," he said reluctantly. "We do. Without Charles…well…"

"I know. Where are the others?"

"They've all gone to bed, I believe. Except for Cyclops. He took off again…Most likely to search for Jean out of frustration and desperation."

"Figures. He's gonna get himself into trouble doin' that. You need to get some rest, too, Hank. I'll stay down here and monitor the city in case Summers gets his ass into a rough spot. Besides, I got all the sleep I care to have for the night…"

"If you're sure…"

"Where's Frost?"

"I…saw her a little bit ago, just after Scott left. She didn't say anything, just walked back down the hall. I assume back to her room."

"Good. Keep watch on her for me, will ya? We'll start looking for Jean again in the morning."

Beast nodded. "Right. Is there anything else?"

Logan didn't look at his friend. He simply stared at the computer and the images of the Phoenix-images that Emma had already shown him. "No. Just get some sleep."

"Alright…Goodnight Logan."

"Night Hank."

A few seconds passed before Logan heard the doors open and close behind him. Then he spun a chair around and sat in it, turning it back to the computer.

x-X-x

Emma only slept for about an hour before she awoke, fitful and restless. How could she possibly sleep when her heart was caught up in chaos? So she lay in her bed, naked save for the nearly see-through negligee. Her bed felt lonely and empty without Logan beside her, and that only made the ache in her breast even worse.

It was insane, she thought. How could she be so in love with a man who had hated her from day one? A man _she_ had also hated from day one. For the love of God in Heaven…

It was around five when she heard the birds rising outside, the sky still dark. It wasn't until six that the sun began to rise. With it, she stepped wearily out of bed and reached for her robe. Heading to her little bathroom, she washed her face and brushed her hair before heading back to the bedroom to dress.

Facing the mirror, she looked back at her reflection without enthusiasm. It wasn't going to be easy to face Logan again. In fact, she would be lucky to return from the confrontation with her head on her shoulders and her arms and legs attached to her torso. The image of Logan ready to kill her haunted her memory.

Would he try to do it again? This time, for real?

Setting her jaw, her chin raised, she drew herself up. Whatever Logan had planned for her, she wasn't going to let him push her around. Whether she loved the man or not didn't matter right now. Now it was all about doing what was right, and to accomplish that, Emma had to be her usual strong-willed and stubborn self. As the saying went, she had made her bed, and now she had to lay in it. She'd made a mistake and she had to fix it.

No ifs, ands, or buts. She _would_ mend what she had broken. And hopefully she would win Logan back in the process.

A knock came at her door and she turned her head slightly. "Come in," she called, her voice as cool as ever.

Rogue walked in, her green eyes full of emotions that Emma couldn't pin down. The telepath turned to face the girl fully. "Good morning," she said with a lift of her fair brow.

"Mornin'," Rogue returned with the faintest smile. "I wanted to apologize for last night…I didn't know what was going on until later, but I should have stopped it…"

"Oh, what's done is done," said Emma with a wave of her hand. "I believe we have more important matters to attend to, don't we?"

Rogue winced slightly. "Yeah. Well, that's kinda why I'm here. Logan wants you in Cerebro."

"Of course he would." Emma began to walk past Rogue without the other girl having to give her a briefing on why Logan wanted to see her.

"I was prepared to warn you…But he doesn't seem…noticeably angry. Actually…He's way too calm. It's kinda creepy. Unlike him." Emma stopped. "Well, he may not be so happy to see you, but…I dunno. He's different. That's all I can say about it I guess."

Silence followed as the blonde mulled over Rogue's words.

"Emma?"

"Hm?"

Rogue touched her shoulder with the tips of her fingers before drawing back a little. "I just wanted to say that I don't blame you at all. Storm is right. You were trying to do the right thing, you just went about it the wrong way." A pause. "I know you love Logan. And I know we have bigger things to worry about right now, but I hope you two can work this whole misunderstanding out. I'm on both your sides."

Emma said nothing. Her face, though turned toward the door instead of Rogue, remained expressionless. She reached for the doorknob and turned it. Exiting, she heard Rogue follow after a moment's hesitation. Then the two were headed for the subbasement.

When they reached the smaller corridor that lead to Cerebro, Emma stopped Rogue. "I think I'd better make my appearance to him alone."

Rogue nodded. "Yeah, good point. I'm gonna go find Kitty and Bobby. Scott hasn't come back yet. Try to find him first and radio us."

"Alright." Rogue walked off back to the elevator as Emma headed into Cerebro.

When she entered, she saw Logan standing at Cerebro with his back to her, his arms folded in front of him. She waited a moment, expecting him to say something, but he didn't. She moved forward, ready and confident, stopping when she was just behind him.

When he still remained silent, she spoke. "I suppose I need to continue to try and locate Jean, correct?"

Logan didn't want to look at her. Hearing her voice was torture enough. He didn't want to set eyes on her stunning face and body. He might just lose it. Hell, he was already losing it. His resolve had been to remain calm and collected in order to get this job done. Then he could sack her and be done with it. Right now, though, he needed her. So he had no choice but to deal with her presence and try to maintain his anger to the best of his ability.

Admittedly, his ability in this situation was not very great.

"Yeah. If what you say is true, and according to both Charles and Hank, it is, then we have to find her fast. And _if_ you are capable, you can go ahead with your plan to try and release that thing early."

She didn't respond. Her silence was confirmation enough that she was in agreement.

"And if you can't control it…Well, then I guess I trusted you for nothing."

A stab to her heart. But she'd expected much worse. So why wasn't he giving it to her? It wasn't like him to act rationally when he was pissed off. Xavier, she thought. He was doing his duty to Xavier, as well as to the rest of the world, not for her, and not for himself. He was doing the same thing she was.

"Alright," she said stepping around him and taking the seat and grabbing the helmet. "But first I must find Scott. Rogue, Kitty and Iceman are going to retrieve him."

"I'm going with them. Radio me if you find either one of them." He turned to leave but stopped for a minute at her words.

"Why use a radio? I'm a telepath, remember?"

There was a hint of a mocking smile in her voice, and Logan hated her even more for it. He could imagine her lips curved in that sexy grin. Damn her. Damn witch. He left quickly before his temper exploded like a time bomb.

The four of them were in downtown Westchester when Rogue stopped mid stride to hear Emma's directions. "Scott's only a few miles east of here," she said as Logan sniffed the air. Sure enough, there was his scent. They had left the van a few blocks back to check the alleys.

"Right," said Logan. "This way." He lead them down another narrow alleyway. When they came out, they stood in front of a hospital.

Rogue's sharp intake of breath caught the others off guard. "Jean!" she managed to choke out. Logan, Kitty and Bobby turned to stare at her. "She's in the hospital with Scott."

Logan cursed. "Dammit Summers! Couldn't even tell us that he'd found her! What kind of shit is that?" He marched off toward the hospital, the other three on his heels.

"Wait, Scott found Jean?" asked Bobby, surprised. "How? I thought he would have found trouble, but not Jean."

"Yeah, well, don't think we aint' gonna run into trouble," said Logan a bit cynically.

"I won't believe it until I see it," said Kitty.

"Well believe it," said Rogue. "Emma's locked onto both of them, and they're together."

"She couldn't have been this close to us the whole time, though," said Kitty. "I'm not buyin' it…How do we know this isn't a trap?"

Logan froze. Kitty was right. What if this was a trap? A trick to get him to go inside, then have an ambush waiting for them. But in a hospital? That was unlikely, he had to admit.

"Come on, that's ridiculous," said Rogue. "Emma's on our side. She wouldn't go against us after all of this."

"But she tricked us in the first place," argued Kitty. "What if she got rid of us? Huh? Then she could find Jean and do who knows what with her. Maybe when she releases the Phoenix, it will destroy Jean."

"Do you hear yourself?"

"How do we know that thing won't kill her? Or any of us if it's released early? We don't know anything about it."

Bobby looked from one girl to the other, then back again. "Uh…that is a good point. But I'm with Rogue. I think Emma wants to help us, not hurt us."

"She does," agreed Rogue.

"Enough!" bellowed Logan, whirling on them. "I'm going into that hospital to find Jean and Summers. If you're comin', then shut up and let's go. If not, get your ass back to the Institute! Got it?"

They all looked away a little. "Yes sir," muttered Bobby. Logan ignored him and headed off again. The other three followed suit silently. Once inside, they went up to the front desk. Logan stepped forward to speak with the secretary.

"We're here to see a patient by the name of Jean Grey," he said as calmly as he could manage. Inside, though, his heart was racing, his thoughts unable to keep up.

"Hold on one moment, please," replied the woman behind the desk before she turned to address her hard drive. She typed something. Clicked. Typed something else and clicked again. Waited. She turned back to Logan with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, sir, but there is no one here by that name."

Logan growled and turned away. He got out his com and walked away from the desk a few strides as he radioed Emma, Kitty's words replaying in his head. "Frost. There's a mistake. Jean aint' here. So you'd better find her, now. And I swear, if this is a trick-"

"This isn't a trick Logan," she replied. "Jean is in that hospital. Perhaps she's registered under a different name."

"Yeah, nice try. What other name could she be under. Could you help us out with that one? Come on. She aint' here."

"Yes, she is." Silence followed for a moment. "The second floor. She's there. Her mutant signature is weak. But I've found it. And Scott is right beside her. His is strong. And I'd know it anywhere."

Logan turned back to the secretary, fighting to control his mounting irritation. "Did anyone by the name of Scott Summers drop by to see a patient?"

She regarded a paper on her desk, flipped the front page up to check the second. "Yes, he came in early this morning. He hasn't left as far as I know. A man with some kind of…glasses?"

"Yeah, that's him. What room did he go to?"

"May I have your name, sir?"

"Look, lady, it's kinda important that we find him. We just wanna know where he went so we can get him and get the hell outta here."

She glowered at him for his tone with a lifted eyebrow. "Room 223-E."

"What's the name of the patient in that room?"

"She's not registered under a name."

"What?"

"Amnesia patient," she clarified. "I will connect you with a nurse from that sector."

"I don't need to take orders," he said, already heading for the elevator. Rogue, Kitty and Bobby followed, none of them daring to speak. An amnesia patient? That certainly came as a shock to them all.

When they arrived on the second floor, Scott stood in front of the elevator, evidently about to head out. "Guys! I found her! I found Jean!"

"So it's true? She's here?" asked Kitty.

"Yeah, she's here." Scott looked down into Logan's eyes. "I was just heading back to get you. She…doesn't remember anything. She doesn't even remember that she's a mutant. I guess that's why Cerebro couldn't find her. She wasn't using her powers."

"Where is she?" demanded Logan.

"This way," he said, walking back down a long white hallway. "But…I don't think she should see all of you at once. I told her who she is and who I am. I told her about the rest of the team, but…she's skeptical. We don't want to overwhelm her. She gets…upset if she can't comprehend everything that's being said to her."

"Is she alright?" asked Bobby. "Is she hurt?"

"No. She's fine. She just doesn't remember anything." They reached a closed door and stopped. "Logan. Where's Emma?"

Logan's jaw clenched. "Cerebro. She led us here. Said you and Jean were inside."

Awkward silence filled the air along with an unmistakable tension that couldn't be pushed aside.

"I think," said Scott in a strained voice. "That she's Jeans only chance of regaining her memory."

Great, thought Logan. Yet another thing they had to depend on Frost for. This was beginning to agitate him even further. But if it helped Jean, then he couldn't complain-much.

He just nodded. "I'll go first," he said before anyone else could. Not that Rogue, Bobby or Kitty would argue. They could wait. Scott and Logan walked into the hospital room together, Logan pushing his mask back off of his face.

The red haired woman sat in a bed looking tired, afraid and confused. Logan's heart sank. She didn't look like Jean. Sure, it was her body, her hair, her eyes…But she was a different woman entirely. This might take a lot of work to give her her memory back. Of course, Scott was right. If they had any hope of getting their friend back, they needed Emma's telepathy.

"Jean?" said Scott softly as the two men approached the bed. Her head shifted on the pillow to look up at him.

"Scott…?"

"Yeah, it's me. Our friends are here. You remember Logan?"

He stepped aside and Logan stepped forward, his anger dissipating as he looked into her tired eyes.

"I…don't think so," she confided, and yet again, Logan felt a pang of heartache. How could she not remember him?

He reached down slowly and touched her arm. "It's alright. I'm a friend. We've come to take you home, back to the Institute."

"I told you about home, Jean," said Scott. "You may not remember anything…But we'll take you home and we'll make sure you do remember."

Jean's eyes flitted from Scott to Logan and back again. "How can I trust you?" she asked, the fear easy to hear in her quiet voice.

Logan sat beside her and took her hand. His smile was kind, more like how he used to be before the explosion. "Hey…I've never lied to you. Trust me, I'll make sure you're safe. We all will. And we'll figure out how to return your memory."

Scott motioned for the other three to come in one by one. Rogue was first, her smile wide as she saw her friend again. Logan moved away, his spot taken by Rogue as she reintroduced herself. "My name is Rogue. You and I…we didn't really talk much. But I've always respected you. You're a good friend to everyone and we've been looking for you for a long time. We want you to come home…"

Jean didn't recognize Rogue at all, but the girl's tone seemed to sooth her and make her feel as if they were all speaking the truth. Jean went to touch Rogue's cheek, but Rogue grabbed her hand. "You…don't wanna do that. Trust me…" her smile grew sad as she regarded Jean. The red haired woman seemed confused, but didn't ask any questions.

Kitty and Bobby came up next. They each said their names and how they knew Jean, then gave her reassuring hugs and smiles. By the time reintroductions were over, Jean felt that she could trust them enough to let them take her "home," wherever "home" was.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Once again, my disclaimer. _ Yes, I get lazy about updating, but I always come back to these stories. Thank you all for being patient with me.

It took awhile before Logan and the other X-Men were able to convince the hospital staff that Jean was their friend and belonged back at the Institute, but eventually they won the battle and were able to take Jean with them. They walked back to the van, Scott watching over the wary red haired woman, a kind smile on his face. He was finally happy again. They had found her, the woman he loved with all his heart.

They were all more than happy to have found their long-lost friend. Now the only thing left to do was to help her regain her memory…

Logan winced at the thought. It was going to be very difficult to make her remember who she was, but not only that; they had to make her understand the story of the Phoenix Force. Would she believe them? Or would she think they were all psycho and run away? No matter what happened next, it was clear that they were going to have to watch her closely until her memory returned completely.

When they returned to the mansion, Logan let Scott, Kitty and Bobby take Jean for a tour, hoping the memories would wash over her if she saw the place she'd called home for so long. Logan went down to the subbasement to talk to Hank. His friend didn't turn when he entered and spoke.

"What have you found, Hank?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"Nothing else, unfortunately." After a short pause, he turned his chair around to face Logan. "I'm glad we found her."

"Yeah…I know. It's been so long…"

Beast nodded. "Well I've found nothing else out about how to stop the Phoenix…But I suppose I have plenty of time to research the subject. I suppose…Emma will need to-"

"I know, Hank…" grumbled Logan, looking away. There was a momentary pause again.

"It will take time," Beast said warily, trying to avoid the subject of Emma. "Amnesia patients are often very difficult to deal with. They find it hard to comprehend reality when it is explained to them. So it's best to only help her recover a little of her memory at a time. Plus…she's gone so long under the assumption she was a human…So it may be hard for her to grasp that she is in fact…a mutant…Best to save all that for after the rest of her memory is restored."

Logan listened well and nodded his agreement. "Considering how afraid she looked in that hospital bed…It may take longer than we think."

"Who knows? But I'm sure E…I'm sure she knows what to do…" said Beast after rethinking his words.

"Yeah…Thanks, Hank."

He shook his head. "Don't thank me. I haven't done a thing." Beast cast aside his hesitance. "It's Emma who deserves thanks."

"Hey, it's Summers that found her, not Frost," Logan argued. "She found Jean by coincidence because she was near him."

Beast said nothing as he looked back at his stubborn, hard-headed friend. Instead, he turned back to the computer and continued his research.

Logan gave a grunt and left the subbasement, angered again.

x-X-x

Emma had returned to her room, when the X-Men had gotten back from retrieving Jean from the hospital. She was relieved they had found the woman after all this time, just as the rest of the X-Men were. Now, however, she had a whole new set of problems to address.

The Inner Circle.

They expected a response from Emma as soon as Jean turned up. The last time Emma had spoken to any of them was a few months ago when she'd met with Sebastian to tell him it would be immensely difficult to locate the lost telepath. Surely she would be hearing from that man again soon. If not him…It would be Selene who would call on her.

And what would she do when that time came? She couldn't hide the presence of Jean from them forever. The Inner Circle would find her. And if they find that she hadn't told them of their discovery…Then there would be hell to pay.

Emma feared that moment when they would come seeking answers. She feared the ruthless Sebastian and the devious Selene. The others weren't as bad, but altogether, they were your worst nightmare if you double-crossed them. The only way to save herself from their wrath would be to tell them that Jean had been found.

Could she do that? Could she betray the X-Men again? After she promised she'd help them? Could she give up those she now considered family?

Could she betray Logan?

She covered her face with her hands with a moan. What on earth was she to do? She was in quite a mess, now. There was no doubt about it; the Inner Circle would come to figure out that Jean had been located, and they would come for her. And the blame would fall to Emma with the X-Men. They would believe that she had called them there to take Jean again.

Emma closed her eyes. Whatever happened, she decided, she would deal with the consequences. She vowed to help the X-Men-the people who had treated her as if she were family; like a friend. The Inner Circle were a bunch of back-stabbers that would do anything to get what they wanted. The only reason Emma had joined them was because she had wanted to do the world a favor by destroying the Phoenix before it destroyed everything else.

She knew the other members of the Inner Circle wanted to tame the Phoenix and use the power as their own, divided among each member. Emma had planned to dispose of the Phoenix Force herself, and she had gained the trust of each member of the Inner Circle until they felt that she was the best person to capture the beast.

And she was the best person for the job. She was the strongest telepath out of all of them, and she had trained for a very long time in order to contain the hellish beast. And destroy it.

She would do just that. But she would be on the side of the X-Men. She would be sure to talk to Logan about the issue of the Inner Circle-and he _would_ listen to her. Because the only way to ensure that she be the one to release the Phoenix was to fool the Inner Circle into thinking she was still one of them.

By the time a knock came at her door, her features were composed once again. She opened the door to find Logan standing before her. She thought about explaining all of this to him now, but by the look on his face, it wasn't a good time to do so.

"Yes?" she finally asked after the two stood in silence for a few moments.

He scowled. "Thanks," he said grudgingly. "For helping find Jean."

"You're welc-"

"But don't think this means anything has changed," he interrupted in a snarl. "You will start working with her first thing in the morning. Reintroductions to the team and to the Institute are enough work for her memory for one day."

Emma simply nodded. Logan stayed quiet and she could tell he had something else to say. So she waited.

Finally, his expression grew darker before he spoke. "And oh yeah…If that club of your shows up for Jean…I'm blaming you. And if they so much as touch her, I swear, I will _kill_ you. For _real_ this time."

Emma visibly swallowed, obviously shaken. He had seemed to be the one reading her thoughts now. Visions of his claws raised high above her, ready to slit her throat, came back to her as clear as day, and she winced as he turned and stormed off down the hall. Yes, this was going to be very difficult indeed…

x-X-x

A knock came at Jean's door not too long after she'd woken from a decent night's sleep in a comfy bed in a much more…homey setting. Jean blinked at the knock, then smiled slightly at the voice that accompanied it.

"Jean? It's me, Scott. Can I come in?"

"Yes," she said gently, and a moment later, Scott stepped into the room with a tray of food.

"I brought you breakfast. Thought you might enjoy just relaxing for a little while before the day started."

Her smile widened. "Thank you. You're so kind." Scott set the tray on the table beside her bed and she began to pick at the food, eating cautiously, even though she was starving. It sure was hard to eat slowly, considering the food here was much better than the slop they served the poor hospital patients.

"Anything for you, Jean," Scott replied as he sat beside her on the bed. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine," she said quietly. "Better than fine, actually. Maybe this is home after all."

"Hey, you know if you need anything-anything at all-I'll be here for you. Just like always."

Jean nodded. "I…I think I trust you, Scott."

Scott felt tears swell in his eyes, but he forced them back. "I'm glad…Jean…" He took her hand and squeezed it before switching subjects. "Emma will start working with you here in a little while. She's going to help you recover your memory."

Jean's brow furrowed. "Who…Who is Emma?"

"She's…a telepath. She can help bring old memories to the surface-help you to remember who you are…who I am. All the good times we had."

Jean seemed to ponder this. "Telepath…? I don't quite understand…"

"It's alright. She's going to help you."

There was a pause as Jean looked up into his eyes. "Can I trust her…?" she questioned, a fear evident in her stricken eyes.

Scott struggled heavily with answering that question. Was Emma trustworthy? She had lied to them all…Lied to him. He didn't see her as very trustworthy at the moment. But there was no time to explain all that to Jean. She wouldn't understand. And…Emma was their only hope of retrieving the old Jean and bringing her back. Reluctantly, he smiled, glad she couldn't see the hesitancy in his eyes behind the dark glasses.

"Yes. You can trust her. She did help us find you, after all."

Jean gave him a look of gratitude and he squeezed her hand again. "Finish eating. Emma will be in shortly. I'll be back to check up on you later."

"Alright, Scott. Thank you…"

He stood and smiled at her again before leaving the room. His smile faded as he walked down the hallway, wondering if he'd just lied to Jean. He looked up at the sound of footsteps approaching. He stopped as Emma came to him.

"How is she?" Emma asked casually, trying to be as indifferent as possible so as not to provoke a fight of some sort. That's the last thing they needed right now.

Scott scowled. "Fine. For now."

Emma could hear the hostility in his voice and she took a small step backwards.

"I swear, if you do anything to her, I will kill you before Logan does, you got it?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but he pushed passed her before she could get a word in. She sighed and lowered her head. Obviously Scott wasn't about to forgive her very easily either. Men, she though…So difficult.

After a brief moment, she lifted her chin and set her shoulders. She had work to do. And it was more important than how much she was liked at this point in time. If she could reach the real Jean, then surely some of Emma's wrongs would be forgiven. And if she helped the X-Men the way she said she would, then she hoped they could learn to call her their friend again.

Confidently, she walked forward until she reached Jean's room and knocked gently upon entering with a kind, heartfelt smile.

"Hello Jean. I am Emma Frost. How are you?"

Jean sat up more in her bed, taking in the appearance of this new woman. "I'm doing alright," she said formally. "Scott…said you were going to help me?"

Emma smiled a bit more as she pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, taking one of Jean's hands. "Yes. Your friends have missed you terribly. I've been working with them for months trying to locate you. We're all so happy you've come home."

Her words and her tone seemed to comfort the red haired woman, and she smiled timidly in return.

"How was breakfast?" Emma asked conversationally.

"Delicious. I don't remember ever having anything so good to eat."

Emma chuckled lightly. "Well, I suppose we'll find out if you have. Can you tell me what you remember so far?"

Jean frowned and looked down at the covers. "Well…I don't really remember anything. But from what I've been told, my name is Jean. This place is my home-Xavier's Institute. I know Scott…" she smiled as she said his name and blushed a bit. "He seems very nice. And there is Bobby and Kitty and Rogue…Hank and Forge. And Logan…And they are all my friends."

Emma nodded. "That's right."

"And…They aren't human." Jean's eyes shifted to Emma. "You aren't human."

Frost shook her head. "No. We are mutants. And so are you, Jean. You are a telepath, like me. You can communicate through your mind…And you are also telekinetic. You can move things with your mind." She stopped and smiled again, stroking the girl's hand. "But let's not worry about all of that for now. Let us focus on retrieving your memories of your friends and family first, shall we?"

Jean nodded, a reluctance still there within the bright green pools of her eyes.

"Now lay back…Close your eyes. Tell me, what is the first thing that comes to your mind…?"

Jean did as she was told, and after a moment, she whispered, "Scott…"

Emma wasn't surprised. She sifted through her own thoughts to remember back to all she had seen in Scott's memories about the day the two had met, and how Logan had come to the Institute, and how he'd captured her interest. The fights. The friendships that were made.

And so it had begun. Everyday, Emma would work with Jean a little at a time. She would take memories and snippets from the minds of everyone at the Institute and use those to jog Jean's memory. Each day, a couple memories returned to her, and she began to trust the rest of the X-Men more.

And what was more, she formed a bond with Emma. Even though the two had never met before, Jean found that she could in fact trust Emma. This trust was amplified when Emma began to re-teach Jean about her telepathic powers. Emma was good at hiding things from Jean that she didn't wish to tell her yet, but Jean expected that. After working together for a few months, Jean understood that she had to grasp reality little by little, and when she slowly began to regain her powers and could look into Emma's thoughts, she assumed all of the things that Emma kept locked away would be told to her sooner or later. And most of them would.

Once Jean had grasped her powers of telepathy, she and Emma took daily trips outside to reintroduce Jean to her powers of telekinesis. At first, this came as a shock to Jean. Emma used her own powers to tap into Jean's long forgotten reserve of techniques to use and control these powers, and once the powers were sparked, Jean panicked. She fell to her knees and sobbed a few times, unable to grasp the concept that she could do such things.

After a lot of work, however, Jean began to rediscover herself and her powers, and it wasn't long after that that all the pieces of her life began to fit into a timeline rather than simply remaining floating memories with no place or order; no rhyme or reason.

Once Jean had grasped the concept of having powers, she started to train daily in the danger room, both alone and with the assistance of her friends and teammates. Being a class five mutant, the rarest mutant, it wasn't difficult at all for her to master her powers and become the Jean that she had been before the explosion.

All had gone wonderfully, and the joy and elation that seemed to radiate around the mansion was uplifting.

After awhile, Jean had requested to see Charles. She had remembered him, too, and now felt as if it had been a lifetime since she'd seen the old man that was like a grandfather to her.

Logan couldn't say no to Jean's request. He took her to see Charles in that surreal world of light…Cerebro in the future. Charles was so happy to see Jean, and she, likewise, was ecstatic to see him.

Suddenly all was restored. All was as it should be. The Institute and the X-Men were back to normal. Not a piece was missing.

But, there was a piece that still…didn't quite fit.

Emma, although close friends with Jean, was still outcast by Scott and Logan. Scott had mostly forgiven Emma, because, for him, Jean was all that really mattered, and thanks to Emma, she had been restored to her former glory. But there was still that bitterness inside him that kept him from completely trusting her.

Logan was a different story. Within the past few months of Jean's recovery, he'd remained angry and hostile towards Emma. He'd never been the least bit kind to her. Any thanks he gave her was delivered in malice and resentment. He refused to call her a teammate or anything close to a friend. And that hurt Emma worst of all.

She had been hell bent on earning his trust back, but even after all she'd done to help, Logan refused to see her as anything but a liar and a villain. He would only tolerate her as much as he had to and not a second more.

In fact, as Jean's progress developed wonderfully, Logan's hostility toward Emma grew. This was because Logan knew what would have to happen next.

"So…" began Hank as they all sat in the subbasement except for Bobby and Kitty who were upstairs with Jean playing a game of cards. "How are we going to tell her about the…Phoenix Force?"

No one spoke. Logan stood leaning against a wall on the far side of the room, trying to stay as far away from Emma as possible. The all exchanged nervous glances, unsure of how to respond. Emma looked at each one of them, keeping her expression indifferent. Then she looked back to Beast.

"It has to be soon. We're running out of time. If the Phoenix isn't released within the next few months, it will be too great of a power for anyone to possibly control."

"Nice to know," growled Logan. "Could have said something before."

Emma didn't respond to his comment. Instead, she kept her eyes on Beast. "Yes, it probably will be difficult for her to grasp…But she will understand I believe. I have gained her trust as well, and I think I can-"

"Gained? You gained her trust?" said Logan, stepping away from the wall and striding towards her. "You had our trust, then you crushed it, and you aint' got mine back yet. You never will. I still don't trust one bone in your body." He had stopped a few inches from her, glowering down into her eyes with a rage that had only grown stronger."

"Logan…" began Rogue. "I think she's proven herself to be trustworthy, don't you?"

"No! I don't!" he barked. "I swear, you step out of line even an inch and I'll-"

"Don't you think that's quite enough death threats?" she interjected. "I do think I've proven that I am trustworthy. Otherwise, I would have taken Jean a long time ago. But I haven't. Why? Because I promised-I vowed to help the X-Men. And I won't back out of that promise no matter how much you'd like to get rid of me."

Her eyes were cold and hard as she stared back at Logan, matching his strong will with her own.

"And while we are on the subject…Since I've been unable to bring this up to anyone for the past few months…I'd like to talk to you about the Inner Circle."

"Inner Circle?" asked Scott skeptically. "Isn't that the organization you worked for before you came to us?"

"Yeah, it is," said Logan. "And she was still in it when she came to us," he clarified.

"Not anymore," said Emma. "But I must speak to you all about them. I was supposed to tell them once Jean was located. That was my assignment. But I didn't. And I am sure they will come looking for her very soon. In fact, I'm surprised they haven't done so already."

"I knew it. You're gonna go sent out a battle cry now that Jean's back to her old self again, and it'll be a war, won't it?" Logan demanded. Emma wanted to backhand him.

"No," she said coldly. "I told you…I'm for this team. I'm staying with the X-Men. The only reason I joined the Inner Circle was to win their trust so that I could be the one to release and destroy the Phoenix. They only want the power for themselves. What I'm trying to say is…I'm going to need make them believe I am still on their side. Because I am going to need their help and their trust in order to do what needs to be done."

Silence enveloped the room as each of them exchanged worried, concerned looks. Logan and Emma's eyes stayed locked in a battle of wills. Finally, Logan broke the intense gaze and stormed around the room angrily.

"So what? We have to let you take Jean to them? And then what, huh? What are they going to do to her?"

"I need their help in order open the doors that Xavier put up within her mind to lock the Phoenix away. But once that is done, I will contain that power, making them believe I will share it with them. That is where I will need your help…and it will be difficult."

"What do we have to do?" asked Beast.

Emma looked around. "We must set up an ambush. Once I have the power contained inside of me…Then you all will distract the other members of the Inner Circle so that I may escape and release the Phoenix far away from the city-far away from anybody. That way…if anything goes wrong, no one else will get hurt."

"Wait, hold up," said Rogue. "You mean…you could be sacrificing yourself?"

Emma nodded nobly. "That is correct."

"But-you can't do that!"

"I must. I have no choice. Either that, or the entire world will be destroyed."

No one said a word. Again, silence fell over the room, chills running down their spines. After awhile, Emma turned and headed out. "So it's settled then. She is to know the full truth in the morning."


	16. Chapter 16

"So you're telling me…That I have a power inside me that's great enough to destroy the entire earth?" Jean stared at the blonde telepath for a very long time as she tried to comprehend this news. Impossible, she thought. It was simply inconceivable.

Emma's face softened. She was weary of all this Phoenix nonsense, and wished it could be over and done with. Maybe then she could relax…and leave if that's what the X-Men wanted her to do. She was sick of fighting with Logan, sick of Scott never speaking a word to her unless absolutely necessary… It was taking a toll on her, all this hatefulness compliments of those two. And now, telling Jean the whole truth of the Phoenix…It felt like she was explaining it for the hundredth time. Hopefully, though, Jean would understand and not call her out as a liar…or worse.

Because Emma planned to tell her _The Whole Truth._

"Yes," she replied solemnly. "As impossible as it sounds…Yes.."

Jean looked down at her hands folded in her lap as she tried to digest this astonishing news. Did that make her a killer? She'd never do such a terrible thing! Why did this have to happen now? After she'd just regained her memories. It had been so long…So long since things had been normal. And now that things were back to normal, they were beginning to take a turn toward weird again. So is the life of an X-Man, she mused without humor.

"And…what does all this mean, exactly…? Why are you telling me this now?"

Emma began to pace, her arms behind her back. They were the only two in the room; Hank's idea seeing as how Logan and Scott were likely to cause some sort of fight. Jean hadn't gotten extremely angry or distressed since they'd found her at the hospital, and it was best if nothing did distress her. With as near to maturity as the Phoenix was, one wrong thing to set Jean off would mean the release of the beast before they were able to contain it.

Still pacing, Emma chose her words carefully in response to Jean's question.

"This is where I tell you everything… So I might as well start at the beginning." She took a deep breath, preparing for the worst if Jean should indeed get angry. She decided to warn the girl beforehand, however. "And Jean…No matter what I tell you, you mustn't let your temper get the better of you…You will understand why by the time I am finished with my story."

Jean nodded, her eyes never leaving Emma as she waited for the explanation.

"Quite a number of years ago when I learned of the Phoenix Force, I also learned of a group of exceptional mutants known as the Inner Circle. Their goal was, in effect, to release the creature before it was fully matured and harness it's power divided up between each member of the group. They were a selfish bunch who desired to be the most powerful mutants in the world by influencing events to their own agenda. And I knew I had to become one of them."

Emma watched as Jean's face went from confused to a mixture of irritation and disbelief. She rushed to subdue the woman's coming accusations.

"I didn't wish to join their little club for selfish reasons, mind you. I have always been an exceptional telepath myself. I put myself through endless hours of training to be as great as I am now. But the thought of such superior beings…It wasn't right. With greed and power, one also finds evil and corruption. I knew I had to stop their plan, as well as save the world from the destructive force of the Phoenix. So I joined the group in order to stop them."

Jean looked very skeptical, her green eyes taking on a smoldering look. "And how does that make any sense? Sounds like you're making it up so that I'll trust everything you say.

Emma shook her head, knowing that Jean's doubts were partially justified. Emma had never been what you would call "righteous" after all.

"Because…I knew that if I were to ever have a chance of carrying out my plan of stopping the Phoenix, I would need help in order to do so. So I planted myself within the Inner Circle to gain their trust. That way I could use them to get to you, and make them believe I was the most capable of the group to release the Phoenix. I would make them believe I would share the power, then once I had it, I would release it somewhere far away where no one would get hurt."

With narrowed eyes, Jean continued to study Emma. "What else do you have to tell me?" she said in a low voice that bode no argument.

Emma sighed and closed her eyes. Now for the hardest part. "I don't claim to be a saint, Jean. Never have been, never will be. Yes, my intentions were good, but I went about my plans the wrong way. Two years ago, I was the one who inevitably caused the explosion here at the Institute."

Jean's eyes doubled in size. Of all the things Emma could have told her, this had to be the most shocking. "You…You what? Why? How?"

"As I said," continued Emma. "I went about things the wrong way. I was trying to get to you, to get you to come to me, away from here and away from the X-Men. I wasn't on their side at the time. Truthfully, I was on no one's side, so I didn't quite care how I went about my schemes. However, when I tried to use my telepathy on you… It was the Phoenix that reacted in order to protect you from a possible threat or attack. I didn't count on that little drawback, and thus, because of my miscalculation, the Phoenix rose to the surface and caused that explosion."

Jean rose to her feet slowly, her eyes never leaving Emma. She was angry at this news, no doubt, but she was heeding Emma's warning about controlling her temper. "So…it was all your fault. Because you didn't care who you had to step on, as long as your plan was successful."

"Yes…It was my fault. And a year later when I heard of Xavier's Institute being rebuilt with the help of Worthington Industries, I was ecstatic. If I became a member of the X-Men, I could use Cerebro to track you. Of course… Since you lost your memory, that would explain why I was never able to locate you. You had no idea of your powers."

"It wasn't bad enough that you caused this whole mess, but you tricked us, too!" bellowed Jean, barely able to keep her temper from boiling over.

Emma looked weathered: regretful, guilty. "Yes. And I am very sorry for the way things turned out. But the longer I stayed here, the more I began to feel like this is where I belonged. You must understand, Jean…I would give my life for each one of you now. Even though I didn't give a thought to what really mattered before, now I truly want to be a member of this team. For real, not just as an agent undercover."

"Oh yeah? And how am I supposed to believe you're not lying now? You're a good telepath, I'm sure you know how to keep secrets from me…"

"Jean, as good as I am, I'm afraid there is nothing I could fully hide from you. You are much stronger than I, truthfully. But if you don't believe that, then ask yourself a few questions. Why, if I wasn't in favor of the X-Men, would I have not turned you over to the Inner Circle by now? Why would I care if you regained your memory or not? If you regained control of your powers or not? Because I want you to be able to fight back when they come knocking at those doors looking for you. With or without my help, they would have found you eventually, and you wouldn't have known why they had come or how to stop them. I could have fed you to the wolves-all of you-but I didn't."

She stopped speaking as she let her words sink in. Jean's anger was slowly diminishing as she thought the whole thing through. It made sense… If Emma were really that greedy, she would have wanted Jean to be as defenseless as possible so that she wouldn't put up a fight when they went to release the Phoenix. Her safety and security wouldn't matter. Logically, it all made sense that Emma was on their side instead of with the Inner Circle. But how could she be sure?

"Trust me or not, Jean… there is a bigger picture here. They will come for you one way or another. The Phoenix _will_ be released one way or another. But you must ask yourself if you'd rather take your chance with me and hope that I know what I'm doing-hope that I can control the power and release it safely to ensure all our survival…Or let them destroy you, your friends and everything else. You spoke with Charles Xavier. The future he is in right now is the result of the Phoenix. It is the result of those idiots who have no idea what they're getting into. I know what I'm in for, and I know it could cost me my life. But I'm willing to die if it means saving humans and mutants alike."

Jean didn't know how to respond. What could she say to that? Emma was right of course. It was her word against…No one. Either trust Emma, or enter the coming fight clueless and defenseless. The choice was pretty clear in Jean's mind. Whether she believed all of Emma's story or not, there was no other path that could be taken. She looked Emma square in the eye then with determination.

"Alright. So what's the plan?"

x-X-x

Gathered in the subbasement at nightfall, the whole team readied themselves for the upcoming battle. It wasn't going to be easy and they were going in without having a solid picture of what they were up against. Emma had, of course, briefed them on each of the members of the Inner Circle.

First, she mentioned the two most powerful people of the club: Sebastian Shaw and Selene. Sebastian, she explained, was a ruthless business man whose mutant power was to transform kinetic energy into strength. Selene was a psychic vampire who drained the life of others to extend her own. There was also Harry Leland, a man who could make any object or person heavier, and the Stepford Cuckoos, telepathic quintuplets. Then there was Donald Pierce, who wasn't a mutant at all. He was a virus enhanced human: a cyborg partially controlled by Sebastian.

"Heh, and they're all a bunch of rich guys and psychos," Logan observed. "Looks like you fit right in, don'tcha Frost?"

She glared at Logan, but offered no response. Instead, she looked to the other members of the team and began to explain what was about to happen.

"You all will head off to bed and pretend as if you are asleep for the night while I contact the Inner Circle. They'll most likely bring a mode of transportation in order to take Jean and I with them. As soon as they arrive, be ready with the X-Jet. Follow us, but don't let yourselves be seen. Rogue and Forge, station yourselves outside of the manor and be ready in case things start to get out of hand. Shadowcat, you'll be in charge of getting everyone else inside. You'll all hide until I give the signal, then it's an all out ambush. Kitty, I'll need your help to get out with Jean as quickly as possible. I shall keep in telepathic contact as much as possible unless it becomes too dangerous to do so."

"And what about you?" asked Scott. "How are you going to get away? I'm sure they'll be after you quicker than we can pin them down."

Emma looked around, her eyes settling on Ororo. "Storm, do you think you could take Jean and I away safely?"

Ororo nodded. "I shall try my best."

"Give it more than that, because your best may not be good enough. Station yourself outside with Rogue and Forge." She turned back to the others. "Are we all clear on the plan?" They nodded, and Logan stepped forward.

"Hey Frost, last time I checked, I was the leader of this team. So why don't you let me do my job?"

"Because you don't know what we're up against and I do. I've followed your orders all this time, the least you could do is follow mine just this once." Her eyes were hard. She'd had enough of Logan's bullying. Whether she loved him or not hadn't been the issue for quite some time now. She would deal with that matter later…If there was a later.

She didn't bother to stick around to listen to his tantrums. Instead, she turned and headed to Cerebro to locate the Inner Circle while the others headed upstairs for the time being. Jean remained with Emma in the subbasement and was outside Cerebro waiting for her once the Inner Circle was found.

"Alright Jean, I hope you're a good actress. You need to pretend to know nothing. Hide all thoughts of the plan from your mind and concentrate on acting as if you only have a vague idea of what's happening. But be compliant. Whatever I tell you, do it. And if I don't protest what the others tell you, comply to what they ask as well. Do you understand?"

Jean nodded. "Yes. I think I can handle this."

"You have no choice." She began walking off, motioning for Jean to follow. "Come. Time to make you look like a fearful prisoner."

To make the setup convincing, Emma locked Jean in the containment cell while she contacted Sebastian. Within an hour, the sound of a copter could be heard outside. Emma escorted the members into the mansion to retrieve Jean, and as they headed back out to the copter, she sent a telepathic message to the others.

"_Get ready, we're heading out. Hurry."_

The others didn't hesitate to get to the Jet, and they were right behind the chopper, as invisible as air.

"I have the blueprints of the layout of the manor," said Hank, showing them to Kitty. "We'll hide in this room at the top of the stone stairwell until we receive the signal."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," said Kitty. "I just hope I can get Emma and Jean out of there fast."

"No kidding," said Bobby. "I mean, both of them are good, but…if you ask me, a psychic vampire and a freaky cyborg sound pretty out there…ya know?"

"Zip it already," grumbled Logan. "We'll make it through this just like we do everything else. That group of rich asses aint' a match for us. We'll take em' down and Jean and Frost will be fine."

Yeah, he said it, but that didn't mean he believed it. Who knew what the hell was going to happen? Who knew if Frost was even telling the truth? What if they were all blown to smithereens? It was fine if Frost chose to blow herself up, but…

Ah, who the hell was he kidding? In the months following Jean's return home, Logan had remained angry and bitter toward the traitorous woman in white. And what for? After all this time, he had come to realize that she was in fact on their side. So why was it so hard for him to leave it all alone?

Because his heart was still in pieces, that's why. He still loved the woman whether he liked it or not. He was used to being bitter…holding grudges, never trusting anyone who proved to have lied to him even once. He should hate her-he should despise her for her treachery, but he didn't. He loved her-God did he love her. He wanted her, heart, body and soul.

And damn it, that pissed him off! Because he _shouldn't_ want her. He _shouldn't_ need her with him. He should want that wretched, lying bitch gone from his life forever! He shouldn't care if she lived or died. He should want her dead for all the damage she had caused.

But he loved her…

Such conflicting emotions the likes of which he couldn't handle. It was too much. He wished his heart and his head would stop warring. He wished he could decide whether he loved her or hated her. These past few months had seemed to drag on forever as he fought with himself. He couldn't even begin to show the woman love when he was so damn frustrated. So no matter what he felt, it all came out in blatant animosity.

So what if she died? What would he do then?

He thought about that beach and the ocean… dream or no dream, it had been real, this he had come to accept. The events, the emotions, everything that had taken place on that island had been real, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not erase the memories, not could he get rid of the ache in his chest that longed to have her back in his arms. He missed her…He wanted to kiss her, to hold her and to love her. Deep down inside, beneath the hatred an the pain, he wanted her so badly he wanted to cry.

Of course he wouldn't. He wasn't the sort to cry easily. But whether anyone believed it or not, Logan had a heart under all that hard mass of anger and rage. Beneath the animal lay a gentle spirit who wanted nothing more than a life of peace…A life filled with love and friends and… possibly a Logan Jr.

With the world they lived in, that was a joke, and no more than a very, very far off fantasy. And if he let himself dwell on such thoughts too long…It would only make him all the more bitter. And so it was with resignation that Logan brought his focus back to what was happening at that point in time. There was a plan. There was a fight about to get underway. And there was the fate of the world that lay in the balance.

**A/N:** A little shorter, yes, but I thought this was a good place to stop. I have a feeling that it may take some working and reworking to write the next chapter with all the action and such, especially since I'm not that great at action scenes…I will try my best though. I'm hoping for a long chapter for the next update. =] Please review and tell me what you think! Any ideas for the next chapter, feel free to share them!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Ok, so yes, this is a very long chapter. And to be fair, I must give credit to Sagami-Ayumu for helping me along the way. She has given me some tips for writing action scenes, since I am not the greatest action writer, and since she seems to be an X-Men X-Pert (lol, see what I did there?), she has also provided me with some background information that has helped me greatly in writing this chapter. So thank you, Sagami! I owe you one! Truly. Some things in this chapter are improvised, and if they are incorrect, I hope that you will not blow up on me. I am not an X-Men expert, in fact, I only got into the X-Men with the premiere of the Wolverine and the X-Men series. But I am doing all I can to learn about each aspect of this amazing cartoon, movie and comic. So please, enjoy!

x-X-x

Jean sat in a seat at the back of the copter, Leland and Shaw sitting on a bench to one side. Selene stood near the front where Pierce sat controlling the hovercraft. Emma walked back and fourth on occasion as they made their way to the manor that was the Inner Circle's headquarters back in Boston, knowing that the X-Men weren't far behind. Luckily for her, she was very good at keeping secrets.

She did fear one person, however, and that was Selene. The woman had been giving her the strangest looks as if she knew something was up, but had no proof, so she kept her mouth shut. For now, that is.

Jean was nervous, but she, too, was able to hide her thoughts and emotions well in order to get a job done. And this, she believed, was the biggest job they'd ever had. Simply being with these people-these superior mutants, as they were-put her on edge. And that vampire, sorceress chick looked like the most dangerous of them all. Even Sebastian Shaw seemed docile compared to that woman, and Jean remembered Emma telling them that Shaw was perhaps the most ruthless of the bunch.

Shaw may have been the most ruthless, but Selene was obviously the most dangerous.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked for the benefit of fooling the Inner Circle.

Emma strode over to Jean and grinned down at her in an expression that sent a chill down the redhead's spine. And for a moment, she could easily see the White Queen through the brief softness in Emma's eyes that only she was meant to see.

"To a place where we can help you, Jean. You've told me of your headaches, and I believe I know the problem. And we can cure it, if you'll let us."

"How…how can I believe you? You did lock me in a cell after all." Jean added a touch of defiance in her voice. She may not have been in handcuffs and shackles, but she was still technically their prisoner. Or, that's what she was pretending to be.

"Dear Jean, I didn't lock you away to make you a prisoner," said Emma, her voice almost a coo as she feigned a lie. "When I tell you the cause of those terrible headaches of yours, you will understand the precautions I've taken to keep you safe."

"Safe? Locking me up was keeping me safe?"

"Relax, Jean. You don't need to stress yourself. You will come to understand everything in due time…" She smiled again, a devious smile that once again had Jean almost believing she was really still one of the Hellfire Club.

But then, the White Queen turned away, walking back to the front of the copter. Jean noted that Selene's eyes stayed on Emma, narrowing in suspicion.

"Something seems different about you, Emma. I just can't put my finger on what it is…"

Emma stopped, her eyes shifting to the other woman without turning her head. A slight, humorless smile curved her lips as she replied to the first of, she was sure, many upcoming accusations. "Perhaps that's because the last time the two of us talked, we were anxious, trying to locate Jean."

"Which we wouldn't have had to do if it weren't for your mess up," Selene reminded her with a lift of her thin brows.

Emma gave her a cold stare. Finally, she said, "Yes, I did make a mistake. But I have corrected it, see? Now we have her."

"And just what do you plan to do with me?" Jean demanded from her seat in the back. All eyes turned to her and she heard Pierce chuckle from his seat in the cockpit.

"Do?" repeated Sebastian with a humorless grin of his own. "Good Heavens, it's not you we want, Miss Grey."

"Then why am I here?"

"As…I said…" Emma interjected, stepping between the two and giving Sebastian a warning look before turning to face Jean. "You will find out soon. But I can assure you, there is no need to worry about your safety. You will be fine as long as you cooperate."

"And if I do refuse to cooperate? What will you do then?"

Leland shot her a menacing look and clenched his fist as it rested on his knee. "I'm sure you'll cooperate. You don't have much of a choice."

"It's for your own good," Emma added, turning away from them all again and looking absently out of the only window in the copter other than the windshield.

Within less than two hours, they had reached Boston, Pierce slowly lowering the copter into what looked to be a large field. But as Jean strained to see out of the window, she caught a glimpse of a Victorian style mansion in the distance.

Once the copter was on the ground, the members of the Inner Circle stood, turning their attentions to Emma.

"You know what to do," Sebastian prompted.

"Of course. We will join you all shortly," Emma replied flatly.

After a moment, the others exited the copter, Selene giving Emma a final glance before following the men into the manor. When she was sure they were out of earshot, she spoke to Jean as she headed for the copter's control panel.

"The other's arrived right behind us. They're still in the jet to our right and they will enter the mansion after we are securely inside and after I've made sure the others-especially Selene-are not watching. I'm just going to shut down the systems in this hovercraft so that they can't use it without a good big of tinkering. That should give us plenty of time to get away from here when the time comes."

"Do you think Selene knows you're up to something?" Jean asked quietly.

"Maybe. You can bet she'll give us trouble, so be on your guard just in case she tries anything before we have a chance to make the first move."

Jean nodded as Emma walked back to her. "Come with me. And keep up the act. We _must_ continue to fool them."

x-X-x

Logan grew more and more tense, as well as anxious, as the mansion came into sight and he noticed the copter descending into the large, open lawn behind it. This was it. It was time to make or break this operation, which meant there had be absolutely _no_ fuck-ups. Not only did Emma's plan hold Jean's fate in their hands, but the fate of the entire world.

As he landed the invisible jet, the others gathered behind him to watch as the members of the Inner Circle headed into the mansion.

"Where are Emma and Jean?" asked Bobby.

"Still in the copter," said Logan, able to smell them even through the thick metal walls of both aircrafts.

"Emma said she was…gonna try to shut down the copter's operating systems to stop the Inner Circle from following when they made their escape," explained Forge.

"Hey Forge," said Rogue. "You finished with that thing you were wokin' on?"

"Oh, yeah! I have it right here," he said, patting a pocket of his vest. "All finished for when we need to use it."

"Alright," said Logan as Frost and Jean emerged from the copter and headed into the house. "Storm, Rogue, Forge: you three are stayin' out here for backup. The rest of us are going inside with Shadowcat. Forge, we may need your help so keep in touch through the com. Got it?"

"Sure thing, Logan."

"Good. Let's move."

As Kitty led the rest of the team to the safest place to enter the house, Forge and Storm followed Rogue as she scouted out the place Hank had pointed out in the blueprints for them to stand guard. Luckily, it was in the gardens, which meant a lot of places to hide. Once there, Forge was able to hook his portable computer into a conveniently located electric box so he could hack into the security systems.

"Now we just lie low until Emma gives us the signal," said Storm.

"Yep. And when they come out swingin', we'll be ready for em'," Rogue said with a grin at Forge who smiled back.

Kitty had successfully phased their party into the mansion, but they had a ways to go before they got to the room above the stone staircase where they were to hide and wait for the signal for the ambush. For a while, nobody moved as Logan sniffed the air, listening closely to detect any nearby threats. He found none.

"Alright, we're in," he said, also sending the message to Emma as he began to walk across the large, elegantly furnished room that they found themselves in. "But watch yourself. This place is probably booby trapped since it's used as their headquarters.

Bobby had only been half paying attention as he wandered through the room in awe of all the priceless furniture and décor. He stumbled backward when he found Logan's claws in his face after he'd almost tripped an alarm. Logan growled at Bobby, their faces mere inches apart.

"That means, watch where the hell you're steppin'."

A few beads of sweat ran down Bobby's face as he looked back at Wolverine, but didn't offer a response. Logan retracted his claws and resumed a few steps across the room. Kitty came up beside Bobby and whacked him in the back of the head. "Nice going, genius," she hissed. "You almost got us caught already!"

"Ow! I'm sorry! Sheesh! I thought Forge was going to disarm the place…" Bobby hastened to defend himself as he rubbed his head.

As if on cue, Forge radioed Logan. "I've managed to infiltrate the security system thanks to Emma, but I can't deactivate all of the alarms just yet. I can, however, give you pass codes to disarm them manually when you come to the keypads."

"There's one over here," Beast said from Logan's left. Forge gave them the pass code and Beast typed it in, disarming the laser alarm system.

"Thanks Forge. Can you tell us where the next one is?"

"Right up ahead in the next room. There are two. This place has heavy security. They probably amped it up, too, since what they're doing is kind of important."

"Yeah…Just keep us informed."

While Logan led the way to the study that held the entrance to the underground chamber, Emma had already arrived down there with Jean, the other members of the Inner Circle waiting for them. The Cuckoos stood equally spaced about the room, cloaked and hooded in black robes, as the two women entered. Sebastian, Donald, Harry and Selene stood in a semicircle near the long, bed-like stone pedestal in the center of the round chamber.

Jean felt her heart beat quicken. This was definitely cult like, eerie and foreboding. It didn't take much acting to convince the Inner Circle that she wasn't too keen on being there.

"Everything is in place, Emma," Sebastian confirmed, his hands behind his back as he, Leland and Pierce stood like proper gentlemen.

"As it should be. She is now fully aware of what lies within her. And she is aware that we are here…to help her. To free her of the burden." Emma's eyes flickered to each of them as she spoke, then to Jean.

Jean looked defiant again, as if she were going to fight back. However, Emma had informed the Inner Circle of her loss of memory. She hadn't told them that Jean had regained all of her memories; only that she'd managed to retrieve a few thanks to her "friends." Nor had Emma told them she had gained control of her powers once again. So, naturally, the Inner Circle saw Jean as practically defenseless. The only problem would be if Jean were to get so upset that she released the Phoenix before they were ready and destroyed them all.

That was why it was imperative to keep Jean as calm as possible. Jean knew this, of course, so she was sure she wouldn't make the mistake of getting worked up. She wasn't ready to die… And she didn't want to kill anyone else, either. That fact is what gave her the courage and the will to keep a level head through the whole ordeal. And Lord knew she needed strength at that moment!

Emma walked to the pedestal, motioning for Jean to follow. "Sit… It's alright. We aren't going to hurt you, I promise. We are here, simply, to help."

Jean obeyed and sat on the flat stone bed, her eyes and face a mixture of defiance and fear. Perfect, thought Emma before turning her back on the redhead when Selene came up behind her.

"Are you sure you are up for this, Emma?" she challenged with much skepticism.

"Of course I am sure, Selene. We have prepared for this moment for years, and I don't plan on backing out now. Not when we've come this far."

"But you messed up our plans once before. How do we know you won't do it again? How do we know you can really handle such a force as the Phoenix? You couldn't even see that the Phoenix would rise up to protect her when you tried to steal her away from that pathetic school in New York."

"Yes, I miscalculated. But I have taken extra precautions this time. Trust me, Selene. I know what I'm doing."

"I don't believe you," she pushed, knowing somehow that Emma had changed. She sensed a difference in her aura, and it didn't seem to be in favor of the Inner Circle.

"I think that Emma has more than made up for her… misguided judgment," said Pierce as he stood beside Leland and Sebastian. "I also think that time is running out. The time for questions is over. Emma is as ready as she'll ever be for this task. I say we lend her our faith that she knows what she is doing."

"You would stand up for her," Selene hissed. "But I know what I'm talking about when I say she's changed."

"Changed or not, she has brought us Jean Grey," Sebastian observed, stepping forward. "There is only one more step that we must take before phase two of our plan can be complete."

"And if Emma fails?" demanded Selene, adamant about her own stance on the issue.

"Excuse me!" Emma said in an authoritative voice that Jean had never head before. "I _am_ The White Queen! And I _am_ capable of finishing what I started years ago. Do not question me, Selene-or any of you. I promised you Jean Grey, and here she is! I demand that we end this nonsense and proceed as planned!"

"Here, here!" agreed Leland.

"Aye, as do I," Sebastian added as Pierce gave a nod to show he was with Emma as well.

Emma's mouth curved up to one side as she gave Selene another cold look. The other woman was outnumbered, so she would concede and they could move on with the plan.

"Now…Cuckoos, assume your positions. The rest of you, do the same." She turned to Jean, her eyes showing a mixture of authority and kindness. "Jean…Just relax and lay back. And soon you won't have to worry about those dreadful headaches any longer…" Her voice was soft as Jean did as she was told, laying back hesitantly. Emma walked around to stand near her head.

"We are going to take on the force that burdens you so you won't have to deal with all of that pain. But you must do us a favor…"

Jean looked up into Emma's face from where she lay, now at the moment of truth. "What favor?" she asked quietly.

"You must open the mental doors that Charles Xavier erected within your mind to keep the Phoenix at bay. Only then can we release it and free you of the burden."

"But…Didn't the Professor put those barriers there for a reason?" asked Jean. "It's dangerous… He put the doors there to protect me and everyone else. Why open them? Why release it?"

"Because, Jean, if we don't… It will kill you. You are a precious soul. It would be a shame to lose you, especially in such a devastating way. Now just lay back and trust me. I promise, you will be alright."

Jean closed her eyes as Emma placed her hands on either side of her head, nodding to the Cuckoos as she did so. The quintuplets stepped forward, surrounding the table as the other four members of the Inner Circle stood just behind Emma. The Cuckoos began a chant as Emma's eyes closed as well, entering Jean's thoughts.

Meanwhile, Forge had successfully navigated the rest of the team through the manor until they'd reached the study and the hidden entrance to the stone chamber below.

"Now, stay quiet," Logan said to the others as they waited at the top of the stairs, still hidden by the wall in case someone came back up the stairwell. The others heeded his warning, waiting, listening. Each one was praying that things went according to plan.

Somewhere in Jean's mind, hidden even from the Cuckoos telepathic powers, Emma stood with the redhead in near darkness. "You've done well so far, Jean. But the most difficult part is yet to come."

Jean nodded. "So what do I do now?"

"Well, we need to do just as I said a few moments ago." Emma turned to face Jean completely. "We must release the Phoenix."

"And…to do that, we need to open the doors the Professor put up, right?"

"Yes. Exactly. So I need you to think. Where are the doors? You must show them to me so that we can open them."

Jean thought a moment, her eyes downcast. She racked her brain, trying to find them, but she was unable to do so. She looked back to Emma with an expression of guilt. "I don't know. It's been so long ago…I don't remember."

Emma nodded, as if she'd known that would be the case. "You may not remember…But I believe someone does…" The blonde telepath used her powers in order to jog Jean's memory. Suddenly, the darkness below them gave way to an abstract scene.

Jean's eyes widened as she looked down upon herself as a child with her long, red tresses and bright green innocent eyes. Before the younger version of herself was Xavier in his wheelchair. Emma and the present day Jean watched the scene unfold before them.

"Professor…I'm scared," said the child as she looked up to the man she had come to call a Godfather of sorts.

His voice rang back gentle and full of understanding. "It's alright, Jean. It was just a bad dream."

"No… I swear, something is trying to get me… I know it is. I heard it."

Xavier chuckled at the silly imaginations of the young. "Alright, alright. If you believe there really is a monster after you, I suppose we'll just have to take a look for ourselves, hm?"

The child nodded, still fearful, but she followed Charles back to her room inside the mansion. She didn't want to go any further. She didn't even want to open the door to her bedroom with how afraid she was.

"Jean, could you get the door for me, please?" Charles asked. She shook her head. "Please? I'm afraid I can't reach it. You'll have to open it for me."

Emma turned to the present day Jean. "You must manipulate this scene. That's one of the doors Xavier placed within your mind. But your younger self won't open. You must aide her."

Jean looked from Emma back to her younger self, then nodded, focusing on the scene and connecting her thoughts in the present to the thoughts from her past. With Emma's assistance, she willed her younger self to open the door, and finally, the little girl complied.

A white light momentarily filled the darkness before it receded and vanished altogether.

"Very good, Jean," said Xavier with a kind smile before he cast a glance around the seemingly normal bedroom. "Now why on Earth do you think that something is after you? Everything appears normal."

"I heard something…" she insisted, tugging at the Professor's coat.

"Where? Can you show me?"

Little Jean pointed to the closet door.

"Ah, the monster in the closet. Well, to assure you that such monstrosities do not exist, let's open it up and see."

Xavier wheeled himself across the room, Jean clinging to him as she walked with him.

"Open the door and I will prove to you that there is no monster, and thus, nothing to be afraid of."

She shook her head. "Uh uh…"

"Come now, Jean. You must face your fears. That's how you become stronger up here." He tapped his temple, his patient smile still in place as he looked at her.

"I'm too scared… I don't want to open the door."

"But you must. You'll never get another good night's rest if you don't confront this now and put it behind you."

Emma nodded to Jean who, in turn, manipulated the scene once again, giving the child the courage to face what lay within the closet.

Another white light engulfed them, and when it had gone, the scene had changed.

"One last door, I think," said Jean. "But…I don't see a door anywhere in this scene."

Both women stared on as the girl sat on her bed back at her parents' house. She looked sad, her eyes on the floor.

"Look. There it is," said Emma, pointing to a little cage in which a canary sat.

Little Jean looked at the bird then. "I wish…" she began. "That you didn't have to stay in that cage. It doesn't seem right. A bird should be free. But…if I let you out… Then you'll never come back to me. I'll never see you again." She pled to the little yellow bird, as if it understood her.

"But that cage is so small… You can't really be happy in there all the time."

The canary gave a few chirps, then hopped down off of its perch to peck at the bird seed on the floor of the cage.

Jean knew what she had to do and easily got into the little girl's head, making her see that birds _should_ be free to fly as they please.

"Mamma and Papa are gonna be mad when they find out about this," she said, rising to her feet. "But I can't stand knowing that you're unhappy in a teeny, tiny cage…" She stepped over to the table beside the bed where the bird cage sat, and the little canary looked up at her, tilting his tiny head to one side.

"I can't keep you here," she continued. "I have to do what's right. I have to…set you free."

Jean used what was left of her mental strength to force the hand of her younger self. And as the little cage door opened, the canary flew from it's prison and into the room, slowly transforming from an itty bitty bird into an enormous, fiery blaze. Emma and Jean's eyes widened as the scene fell away, leaving only the bird of flames in their wake, it's screech echoing throughout Jean's mind.

"This is it!" cried Emma as she began to lose her grip on Jean's psyche.

Before she was ripped from Jean's thoughts altogether, the two women sent a joint telepathic message to the rest of the X-Men.

"_NOW!" _

Jean screamed as the Phoenix was released into the huge, round room, the members of the Inner Circle watching, both in awe and in fear. But Emma hadn't lost her grip on Jean just yet, and she channeled all of her energy into absorbing the great, fiery beast. The pain was excruciating, and by the time it was subdued within her, Emma had a hard time standing.

"We've done it!" Shaw rejoiced, his hands raised. "Emma has done it-"

"No! Ambush!" Selene cried, pointing to the stairwell as the X-Men ran to assist Emma and Jean.

Cyclops was the first to attack, his optic beam hitting Shaw and sending him flying backwards. Donald Peirce jumped in front of the fallen man, already readying his weapons. Before the X-Men knew what was coming, he transformed his right arm into a laser cannon, aiming straight for Cyclops.

Shaw had regained his feet by this time, and was now charging toward Bobby who was icing his way around the Cuckoos, trying to freeze Pierce in his tracks and failing. Bobby yelped when Shaw's fist caught him in the gut, and he fell off of his ice trail, landing hard on the floor.

Beast met Shaw, his big, furry feet kicking the man in the stomach, sending him backward again. When Pierce turned on Beast, the blue ape of a man found himself slammed against a wall thanks to the laser cannon in the cyborg's arm.

"Traitor!" Selene screeched as she ran to Emma, Jean attempting to help the blond to her feet. Logan charged toward them, Kitty in his arms before he tossed her ahead of himself, getting her to the two women quicker than if she had tried to run. Selene tried to grab a hold of Kitty with her telekinesis, but Kitty was able to phase through her attack, and straight threw Selene herself.

The psychic sorceress gasped and spun around, her arms raised as she aimed her magic at the invisibility girl. Unfortunately for Selene, with the speed at witch Logan had tossed her, Kitty was able to get to Jean and Emma, grab them, and roll away in time to avoid the spell.

"Summers! The wall!" called Logan. "Blow it out!"

Without a reply, Scott obeyed his orders and used his glasses to blast a hole through the side of the mansion. Kitty tried to get up, grabbing a hold of Jean and Emma, but Emma was still too weak to keep her footing and Jean's mental stamina had diminished greatly as well from the task of releasing the Phoenix. Selene didn't relent on her assaults as she aimed spell after spell at them.

Rogue and Forge had leapt to their feet as soon as the wall blew out. "That's our cue," said Rogue. "And it looks like they need backup in there."

"Aw man," said Forge, not really wanting to be a part of the action. He was an engineer and a programmer, not a fighter. "Kitty can't get those two out of there."

"Leave it to me," said Storm as she rose up into the air, storm clouds rushing to her aide as she gathered enough electricity to zap Selene, sending the sorceress back.

Rogue rushed in to help Kitty pull Emma to her feet. "Storm!" she called, and immediately, the African Goddess of weather produced a wind strong enough to carry all of them from the mansion and out into the open.

"Oh no you don't!" Selene had gathered herself once again and aimed a spell straight for Emma. Rogue and Kitty lost their grip on her, and the blond tumbled to the ground, Selene rushing to attack her again.

"Emma!" the other three girls screamed.

Emma forced herself to her feet, gathering all the strength she could muster. "Go on! Take Jean away!" she commanded, and Storm lowered Rogue down to Forge, carrying Jean and Kitty to the X-Jet.

"Oh no!" cried Kitty. "Emma! What are we gonna do? She's too weak to go on by herself! And everyone is all tied up in different fights!

And it was true. Beast found himself battling Leland now. It was a battle of brute force, but unfortunately, Beast found himself at a loss to the man who could make himself heavier, making his blows much more poweful.

Shaw found Logan, and the two were duking it out while not too far away, it was Cyclops vs. Cyborg. Bobby had regained his footing and found himself facing the telepathy of the Cuckoos. Ice power or not, there was no way he could save himself from their mental attacks.

"I agree," said Jean. "We have to help her."

"No," argued Storm. "You need to get to a safe place. Protect yourself."

"I won't leave a team member behind!" yelled Jean, using her own telekinesis to fight off Storm's mini tornado, making her way back to the fight between Emma and Selene.

"No!" screamed Kitty. "Jean, what are you doing!"

"I knew it!" Selene screeched as she sent Emma flying through the hole in the wall with another spell. "I knew you would betray us, and you have! And now, I swear I will make you pay!"

As Jean used her powers to control the speed of her fall, she used her telepathy to mount a psychic attack on Selene, momentarily drawing her attention away from Frost.

"You fire haired little witch!" exclaimed Selene, turning her magic on Jean. Jean, however, levitated a large rock to save herself as she landed on the ground, running for Emma. When she reached her friend, however, Selene was using her own telekinesis on the rock that Jean still had in her control. Suddenly, it was a power struggle, Jean trying to keep the rock in front of she and Emma as a shield, while Selene tried to cast it away in order to mount another attack.

"You can't keep it up for long, Red!" Selene goaded. "You and that traitor are weak! You've expended yourselves, trying to trick us, and no you are going to regret it!"

Cyclops had just managed to make a direct hit at Pierce, sending him flying outside as well. He turned and called to Jean when he saw that she was in trouble, rushing to her aide. He had just gotten her back, and there was no way he was going to let anyone hurt her! He aimed for Selene and shot her in the back, causing her to lose her hold on the rock. Scott continued to blast her without mercy, his long legs carrying him closer to the woman he loved.

"Scott!" cried Jean, grateful for a brief intermission from using her powers while Selene was occupied.

"Jean, I'm coming!" He hit the sorceress again, and this time she stayed down for a few short moments, stunned, her skin burning from the heat of his optic blasts. Scott was able to finally reach Jean and he took her into his arms and kissed her briefly. "Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"Scott, I'm fine. Emma…" her gaze dropped to the fallen telepath who'd collapsed of exhaustion. She was now rousing, however, seeming to have gained control of the Phoenix, locking it deep inside her for the time being.

"Alright Forge, it's time to put our plan into motion," said Rogue as she watched Pierce fly through the huge hole in the wall of the manor. The cyborg was in their sites and no longer fighting Cyclops. Now was their chance to make their move.

Forge nodded to her, ready to play their part in taking down the Inner Circle. "You know what to do," he said.

"Right." Rogue ran toward Pierce as he got back on his metal feet. "Hey metal head!" she called out. "You think you're so tough, why don't you face me! I bet you're no match for me!"

Donald Pierce spun to face her and growled. "I know you're not talking to me, kid! Do you even know who I am? I am Donald Pierce! Not a human, and not a mutant! I have abilities you couldn't possibly-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! You sound like you're all talk and no action to me! If you're so great, come over here and show me what you got!" The bait had been set, and sure enough, the foul tempered Donald ran at her, his laser cannon replaced with a weapon that was similar to a machine gun.

As Rogue ran at him, jumping this way and that, he followed her with his gun, bullets ricocheting off the walls of the house and the trees that stood around them. When he didn't have any luck with the gun, he replaced it and stuck out his other arm, releasing three metal tentacles, each one with a circular saw blade on the end.

He swung at her, again and again, but still, Rogue proved to be too fast for him to catch. She was fast, strong and agile, even if her mutant powers couldn't work on him since he virtually a robot.

"You stupid little bitch," he growled. "I will get you, mark my words!" He grinned, his saw blades melding back into his robotic arm as his feet pulled up into his legs, his legs pulling together into one limb with a wheel attached to the bottom. Both of his arms turned into guns, and Rogue gasped as he came at her fast.

She jumped to one side and ran like hell. "Forge!"

"I'm on it!" He was ready. The chip he'd created specifically for this showdown was locked into the charger on his wrist, ready to be fired as soon as he had a clear shot. It was now or never. If he missed, then Rogue and the others were done for.

He could do it. It had been a long time since he'd been involved in a battle. He'd always been the one behind the scenes, and he was content with his post. But right now, his friends needed him. And he would not let them down.

As Rogue jumped up into a tree, then launched herself at a broken window across from her, Pierce turned the way Forge needed him to. Click. Whoosh. Clink.

And the chip was set at the back of Pierce's neck. Forge grinned, taking out his portable computer and opening the program linked with the chip he'd just planted on the unsuspecting cyborg.

"Let's see here… Time for a little rewiring." Within a matter of a few seconds, Forge had successfully hacked his systems. Just in time, too, because Rogue had lost her footing and stumbled just as Donald had aimed his laser beam at her.

Just before he fired, Forge turned him in the opposite direction.

Scott and Jean knelt beside the fallen Frost. "Emma…?" asked Scott, and she was surprised to hear concern in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"Fine…" she said, a hand on her head. "We must help the others…"

"We need to get you out of here-now," said Jean.

Emma looked to Jean, her face turning to an expression of anger. "I thought I told Storm and Kitty to take you to the jet to keep you safe."

"I came back for you. I couldn't leave you behind to face her on your own. You're too weak right now. Besides, the Phoenix…"

"Graaaaaaah!" Selene had gotten back up and was even angrier than before. She didn't bother with the formality of accusations or threats. Instead, she levitated herself, giving her a better aim, and shot a strong, deadly spell at the three of them…

Only to be shot down again by the blast form Pierce's laser.

Forge jumped in triumph. "Yes! One point: Forge!"

He cast his sights around the room and found that Logan, Beast and Bobby were in need of some assistance as well. But he had to make sure that the bitchy sorceress didn't get up and call mutiny. So…he shot her with the laser a few more times.

Rogue had made her way back to Forge and slapped him. "Enough playing around! Look!"

Forge's eyes followed her finger in time to see Logan and Beast back to back, trying to fight both Leland and Shaw-a dangerous pair to go up against.

"Oh, I've so got this," said Forge, feeling cocky now that he had Pierce under his control.

He had Pierce's laser out and switched his other hand to a gun before blasting Shaw with the laser and putting a few bullets in Leland's side. The X-Men never aimed to kill, but these super mutants needed a power check. And if Forge could take a few of them down, at least for awhile with flesh wounds, that just might be enough to save them.

Bobby was still stuck with the four Cuckoos as they played head games with him, making him see false visions and luring him into traps before hitting him with all of their psychic attacks. Now, Bobby was on the verge of fainting from mental exhaustion as well. He yelled when he saw Pierce coming towards him, guns blazing. He didn't have the stamina to fight back anymore.

But as Pierce came closer, Bobby found that the lasers and guns weren't aimed at him: they were aimed at the Cuckoos. Rogue ran to catch up with Bobby, ripping off one of her gloves before quickly touching his skin to absorb some of his ice abilities.

"Come on, Bobby, we've gotta' get you outta' here-fast!" She hoisted him up onto her back, then used her borrowed powers to create and ice bridge that took them safely outside of the fight.

"Hold on, I'll be right back!" she said as she ran for Logan and Beast as the two ganged up on Shaw. They had figured out that the man had a "power gauge." The man's ability to absorb the energy from their attacks had a limit, and with both Logan and Hank on the offensive, that limit had been reached. Shaw couldn't take much more before he'd be down to recharge his powers.

Rogue ran up behind Shaw and jumped, kicking him in the back of the head. When he doubled over, his hands on his temples, she touched the back of his right hand briefly, then ran to Logan, her fingertips brushing his face in order to borrow his healing abilities She sidestepped to touch Beast quickly as well to take some of his brute strength.

"Sorry, but I needed to take some precautions!" she called back to the momentarily stunned men.

Too bad no one had medical abilities she could steal to help Bobby, Jean and Emma. But making herself nearly invincible might help them to gain an edge in this fight as well. Forge had done well, gaining control of the metal mouth, and Rogue was tired of always being on the sidelines herself. She swore she would do all she could to help her friends win this fight.

Leland came to, and was appalled upon seeing Shaw almost on his knees. The brute focused on his ally, and when Shaw made an effort to launch himself at Logan, Leland used his ability to add some extra weight to his attack.

Logan's breath left his lungs in a whoosh and he gasped for air, landing hard on his back. Beast's large fist collided with the side of Shaw's head, and now it was his turn to be down and out for a few.

Hank helped Logan to his feet, and they nodded to each other before heading for Leland with simultaneous attacks, roaring and growling with renewed strength.

Kitty ran to join the fight along with Storm and found themselves the ones facing the telepathic sisters. Four against two may have been uneven, but between Storm's lightning and Kitty phasing through the Cuckoo opposite of the one attacking her, thus making the sisters attack each other, they didn't stand much of a chance.

Rogue had made it to Jean and Scott as the two of them carried Emma from the wreckage of the busted wall. She was slowly regaining her strength, both physically and mentally, but the fight was raging more quickly than she could recoup. And with her rising stress, she could feel the Phoenix pushing against her own mental barriers. That alone would keep Emma from regaining her full power.

"Sorry about this," said Rogue as she reached out to touch Jean and Scott, not daring to take any of Emma's energy. "You guys hurry and get her out of here. I think the rest of us can hold off these goons."

"That's what you think!" Selene yelled as she shot Rogue in the back, causing the girl to fall to the ground.

Scott whirled and aimed for Selene, but the sorceress levitated out of the way of his deadly eyes, hitting him in the side with another spell. Jean was hit next, leaving Emma to fend for herself.

The psychic vamp shot Emma away from the other three so that the two women could have their showdown. Emma managed to get to her feet, no sign of weakness in her hard, cold face as she glared back at Selene. The sorceress glared back with pure hatred for the blond who had betrayed the Inner Circle. Selene had wanted the power of the Phoenix, and she was going to get it! They all were! And the traitorous wretch that had caused this mess was going to die for her actions.

"Just you and me, Queeny," she taunted. "Our friends are either tied up or unconscious for the time being. So it's now or never. And I plan on making it now."

"Selene, you are a fool," said Emma coolly. "If you all think you can control the Phoenix, you all deserve to be destroyed by its mighty fire."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a warning. It's a fact. If you don't believe me, then I guess you'll have no choice but to figure it out for yourself sooner or later."

"I don't trust a word you say anymore, Emma. You've lied to all of us. You're a liar. You were born a liar. You lied to the X-Men. You lied to us. That web of lies was sure to get you into trouble eventually."

Emma didn't let Selene's words get to her. Probably partially because she knew they were true. Emma was one of the best damn liars out there. That's how she'd become so successful. That's how she became the White Queen. And that's how she had also found her home with the X-Men.

She wanted to laugh at the irony of it all. The people she had lied to had been the people that had touched her heart. These people that spent their life seeking power and dominance over others, a thing that Emma may have had, but never really cared for, were the ones who were about to pay for their crimes. Because although Emma's actions had been misguided, they were done with good intentions.

Selene, Shaw, Leland-they were all greedy, power hungry individuals. And for that, they would get what was coming to them.

"You wanted a showdown, Selene. I'm right here. I'm right in front of you. And I'm not running away. So give me your best shot," she challenged.

Selene didn't have to be told twice. She aimed for Emma and fired her strongest spell, which Emma countered with a psychic blast. They stayed in a battle of wills and mental stamina for quite some time, neither of them backing down. Selene had to hand it to the former White Queen. Even weakened, she was still an extraordinary telepath.

But it was only a matter of time before the mental stress got to her and the Phoenix was able to break free of Emma's barriers.

Forge had been watching over Bobby as he controlled Pierce. Lucky for Forge, he'd been able to shut off Donald's mouth, too. So it was easy for him to sneak the cyborg up on the other unsuspecting members of the Inner Circle.

It didn't take long before Leland and Shaw were down for the count and the Cuckoos were nearly coo coo from all the zaps and trick attacks compliments of Storm and Shadowcat. Jean, Scott and Rogue were rousing from their stupor as Logan, Beast, Storm and Kitty caught their breath.

"Woo hoo!" cheered Forge, the smell of victory washing over him. He felt like a hero.

Rogue gasped when she sat up and saw Emma and Selene battling it out. "Emma!" they all turned at her exclamation, and when Logan saw the weary, tired expression on the White Queen's face, his heart gave a lurch.

She was in trouble. She wasn't going to last much longer, and the Phoenix was still inside her. She hadn't gotten the chance to escape…

She wouldn't have the chance to release it somewhere safe. They were all doomed if she couldn't keep the Force contained much longer-which Logan was willing to bet that she couldn't.

His eyes flickered from one member of his team to the next. They were worn out, tired and about to lose the last of whatever fight was left in them. His team was on the verge of defeat, even if that psychic vampire chick was the only one of the Inner Circle left standing for the moment.

Logan held a responsibility to the X-Men. He couldn't let them endanger themselves anymore. The Phoenix was coming, this he knew well enough judging by how weak Emma's attacks were becoming. He turned to Storm, who was still pretty ok, still strong, and gave her a look that called for her immediate assistance. She understood and began flying the others to the jet, or near it to rest.

The fight wasn't over yet.

Logan wasn't about to let Emma lose her battle. He wasn't going to let that witch kill her. He charged for the wicked black haired woman, his claws out. But as he neared her, the claws in his right hand retracted and he punched her in the back of the head. She fell to the ground, probably feeling an awful throbbing between her temples and Logan didn't hesitate as he ran for Emma, pulling his hood down as he went.

"Frost!" he called, his arms wrapping around her before she could collapse again. He had gotten to her just in time. One more blast and she'd have been out cold. "Frost, speak to me! Tell me you're ok!"

Her eyes drifted closed, and she took deep breaths to try to calm herself. She was drained of all her energy again. "Logan," she whispered, her face nestled against his chest. "Logan, I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what? You done good, Frost. But let's face it, they were too strong. She was on ya faster than we could get you out."

Her fingers gripped his shirt as she struggled to stay conscious. "Logan…"

"Yeah…I'm here…" he said, unknowingly giving into the tender feelings he still had for her. He didn't want her to be hurt. He didn't want her to die. He wanted her to be alive and well, and most of all, his. He ran a hand through her hair as he looked into her strained, pale face. "Frost, you're gonna be ok. I promise."

"Logan…Listen to me," she pleaded softly. "Listen…"

"I'm listenin'. What is it?"

"I…I lo…" Emma couldn't finish her sentence, although it was on the tip of her tongue. She fought to not black out, but her vision was growing darker by the second. She wanted to get the words out, just in case she never got to say them again. Those three little words. He had to know how much she cared about him. She struggled to finish even the second of the three words… But it was useless.

Her head fell back against his chest like a lead ball as she lost consciousness. Logan stared down at her for a moment before he pulled her to him even more, burying his face in her soft, blond hair. She was alive. For now… But without her awake to keep the Phoenix at bay, one more attack…

"I've had just about enough of you heroes!" Logan's head shot up and he saw Selene back on her feet. He growled. Did that woman ever stay down?

"Since Emma proved to be the traitor, I think I'll step in and take her place as the "White Queen." And believe me, Wolverine, the Inner Circle WILL gain control of the Phoenix Force."

"In your dreams, bitch!" he snarled, not letting go of Emma. His sudden protective nature kicked in. He wouldn't let this evil woman hurt her again. He wouldn't, that he vowed.

"Oh, this moment has been in my dreams for a long time," she said slowly, menacingly. "And now, it's time for me to make those dreams into reality."

Logan's gaze was drawn to what was happening behind her. Leland, and Shaw had risen, and Pierce looked as if he weren't being controlled anymore. One look to his left told Logan that Forge had indeed lost his hold on the robotic man. And it was an understatement to say that they were furious and even more power hungry than before.

Shit, he thought. This was it…

"Now…be a good boy and hand her over." Selene put out her hand as a last gesture of a peaceful surrender.

Logan wasn't a peaceful kind of guy, and he _never_, _ever,_ surrendered.

"Not on your life," he spat back.

Selene grinned devilishly, the three men and the Cuckoos gathering behind her. "Then so be it…" She raised her hand and sent a spell at him that caused him to drop Emma and fall to the ground, paralyzed.

He could only watch as she and the other members of the Inner Circle stepped forward and surrounded Emma, preparing for a joint attack. Logan growled, barely even able to move his lips.

"You…bastards…" he ground out through clenched teeth.

They paid no attention to him as they channeled all of their powers into their final attempt to release the Phoenix and claim the power as their own. The Cuckoos, once the White Queen's loyal servants, turned against her and launched a psychic ambush, forcing the Phoenix to rise to the surface. And when it did, the Inner Circle was more than ready to capture it.

Logan's eyes dilated, his thoughts screaming, _No! No! No!_ as Emma's eyes flew open, reflecting the fire of the Phoenix as it was once again released.

Only this time, there was no one who was strong enough to control it.

**A/N:** Well, like I said, LONG chapter. And, OMG! EMMA! IS SHE DEAD? IS SHE GOING TO DIE? ARE THEY ALL GONNA DIE? IS THE WORLD GONNA END? WILL THERE EVEN BE AN EARTH LEFT FOR THE FUTURE XAVIER TO WALK ON? DON'T MISS THE NEXT CHAPTER! OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Secondly, I want to take a second of your time to tell you that I've started a new story if you haven't seen it yet. It's another Logan and Emma story. But, it takes place right after First Class, so if you haven't seen the movie yet and you don't want anything to be ruined for you, then don't read it. If you're interested, the story is called Feral Seduction. Yes, it's rated M-it does deal with the two sexiest people in X-Men. But I only have one chapter of it up so far if you want to take a look. =] Thank you for your time! Now on with the story!

x-X-x

The X-Men looked on in horror as the Inner Circle took hold of the power of the Phoenix. Each of the Cuckoos took a place beside the other members of the clan, using their telepathic powers to help control the Force within the minds of their comrades. Selene used her telekinesis to levitate the group, and they rose higher and higher in the sky, taking the fiery bird with them.

"Now…The power of the Phoenix is ours," said Shaw with a devilish grin. "And the world will bend to our will. No one can match us!"

"Who would dare? We are the most powerful mutants there ever was!" agreed Leland. Pierce cleared his throat and Leland shifted his gaze to the other man. "And of course, cyborg," he added, and Pierce nodded with a grin of his own.

"Let's say we teach these pathetic humans-and the X-Men-what we can do!" suggested Selene, using her own powers to strengthen the abilities of the Phoenix as it rose higher into the dark sky.

'Oh no… They've captured the Phoenix Force," said Rogue in almost a whisper.

"So we see," said Beast. "This is not good. Not good at all."

The others were speechless. How were they supposed to stop such a thing? It was impossible. Emma had trained her whole life to hold the power at bay once she had it. None of the X-Men knew any more than that about how to get stop the destruction that it was sure to cause.

Logan growled as he fought against the effects of Selene's paralyzing spell. He had to get up, and fast. He had to get to Emma, to see if she was alright, if she was even still alive. He had to get to the rest of his team, to do something to stop the Inner Circle-something, anything!

When he managed to move his arm slightly, a feeling of triumph came over him and he pushed harder to free himself from the dark magic. At last, he regained enough movement in his arms and legs to sit up and crawl over to Emma once again. He was afraid to touch her, afraid of what he would find. Her eyes had flew open and she'd risen into the air as if possessed as the Phoenix had shot from her body, but she'd fell back instantly, her eyes closing again as soon as it was free.

"Forst?" Shaking, Logan placed his hand above her breasts as he searched for a heartbeat. He felt nothing. He shook her slightly, calling out to her. "Frost? Frost, answer me!" He grew afraid and lay his ear against her chest desperately.

His entire body relaxed when he heard a faint pulse within her breast. He lifted his head slowly and took her into his arms once more, grateful she was alive. He had to get her out of there, get her some help. Thankfully, they had medical supplies in the Blackbird.

Gathering his strength, he stood and carried her toward the others. They looked to him, and Rogue gasped.

"Emma!" she ran to intercept Logan, fear in her eyes. "Is she…?"

"No. She's still alive. For now… She needs medical attention."

"Got it," said Beast, following Logan to the Blackbird. Logan laid her down on one of the benches in he back and turned to his friend. "Take care of her, Hank. This fight isn't over yet. It's only just begun."

Beast nodded. "Right. You can count on me, Logan."

With one last desperate look at the woman in white, Logan pushed his heartache aside and left the jet to join the others once again. They had to focus, to figure out a way to release the Phoenix from the Inner Circle's control and to destroy it.

Not an easy task.

"Logan, what are we going to do?" asked a very worried Storm as she flew down beside him. "We don't know how to stop that thing-"

"I know… But we've gotta try."

Scott held Jean in his arms, clinging to her, not wanting to let her go. He couldn't believe that that…that…thing had been inside of her. He could easily believe that it would have destroyed her eventually and he was grateful that it hadn't gotten the chance. However, now they were facing it's full force and more at the hands of the Hellfire Club.

Jean's own mind was reeling. She knew this wasn't her fault, but she felt responsible regardless. The Phoenix had lived inside of her, held back temporarily by the barriers Xavier had erected within her mind. But now it was free and it was under the control the bad guys. She was at least thankful that someone had control over it so that it didn't destroy everything in its path. But how long could the Inner Circle hold back its might?

And Emma was now out of the fight. She was the only one who knew the Phoenix's true power. She was the only one who knew how to get rid of the beast. Without her, who knew what was going to happen?

"Alright, here's what we're going to do," said Logan. "Storm, fly me up there. We're gonna take down those wannabes-"

"Logan no!" said Jean, pushing away from Scott to grab onto Wolverine's arm. "You can't. They are the only thing stopping that thing from destroying us all. If we attack them, then they'll lose their grip on it and we can kiss the future goodbye."

Logan growled. Shit…What a hell of a mess this was. They couldn't attack the enemy and they couldn't stop the flaming bird. And the only person who knew how to stop the madness was out cold.

"I have a better idea…" said Jean, looking up as the Inner Circle tamed the bird.

They all stared at Jean in confusion, then Scott ran to her. "No! Jean, I won't let you!"

"Scott…I have to. That thing was inside of me. Maybe I can hold it back again, at least long enough for-"

"For what? For it to kill you? No, Jean!"

"Scott…"

"No!" He pulled her to him, holding her tight. "No, I won't let you go…I can't lose you again."

Jean said no more as she allowed Scott to hold her. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave Scott and her friends again, not when she'd just gotten them back. But what else could be done? If she could just hold it back while the rest of them worked on taking down the Inner Circle, maybe…

Logan, for once, agreed with Summers. They'd just gotten Jean back. He wasn't willing to risk her life for a chance that she could hold back the Phoenix's power until they could get rid of the enemy. The odds of that were slim…

But she was right. What other choice did they have?

"Let her go, Summers," he commanded in a strained voice, his back to the pair.

Scott stared at his back, appalled. "What?"

"You heard me. Let her go."

"Are you crazy? I won't!"

Logan turned on him with a fierce expression. "You think I want to take this chance? If you're dumb enough to believe that, then maybe you need to go back to school! But she is right! We have _no other choice._ She's our last hope of saving the Earth. If we don't do something now, it's over-for good!"

"But Jean-"

"Don't! …Question me. Just do it."

Scott glared at Logan, the burly man glaring back. At last, Scott gave in and reluctantly released Jean, his eyes falling.

Jean took his hands, looking into his face. "Scott…I'm sorry."

"Just…be careful," he whispered, his heart shattering yet again at the thought of losing his only love. She pulled away and backed up to stand beside Logan.

"Ok, new plan," Logan said, looking around at the others. "We're gonna do just as I said before, but we need to make sure that Jean gets close enough to capture the Phoenix before it has a chance to blow up the whole city. In order for this to work, we have to attack all of them at once."

"All at once?" said Bobby. "That might be a little difficult, especially since they control the giant, flaming bird!"

"Yeah, for once, he's right," said Kitty. "And not all of us can fly either."

"Jean can fly up with Summers, Storm will take me, Iceman can get Shadowcat up there with his ice bridges."

"And I've still got you guys' powers that I borrowed just before that sorceress knocked me out," said Rogue. "I can take Forge."

Forge looked fearful at the suggestion, but he didn't object.

Logan nodded. "Good. Maybe take some more powers for your reserve, cause this is gonna be a hell of a battle."

"Wait," said Storm. "Shouldn't Jean stay back and away from them so that they don't have a chance to take her out if they catch onto our plan?"

"I agree," said Scott. "Jean needs to be someplace safe."

"That's fine. If Storm can take Scott up, too, then I can stay hidden until it's time to attack. I am a level five mutant, remember? I can use my telepathy to mount an attack from further away."

"Deal," said Logan. "We can't waste anymore time. So ready yourselves and let's go."

They all nodded and Rogue stepped to each of them, stealing a fraction of each of their abilities, then walked over to Forge. "Are we all ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be, I suppose," said Bobby.

"Then let's do this." Rogue and Storm lifted off into the air, taking Logan, Forge and Scott with them as Bobby took Kitty up with his ice bands, and Jean ran for the Blackbird to find Beast.

"Hank! Take me up, we're mounting a joint attack on the Inner Circle."

He blinked as he put away the medical supplies now that he'd managed to bring Emma's heart rate back to normal and she was now resting. "A joint attack?"

"Yes. And once the Phoenix is free of their control, I'll need to be able to intercept it."

Hank nodded and picked Emma up to place her into a seat and buckle her in, then he took his place at the controls, Jean standing behind him.

"Engaging thrusters," he said as he started the engine. "Initializing stealth mode. And we're online and on target." The Blackbird was in the air, right behind the rest of the X-Men as they prepared for the attack. The Inner Circle had just finished their taming of the creature and was ready to aim its powerful Hellfire at the X-Men, but our heroes were the ones to make the first move.

"Now!" shouted Logan, and all at once, Scott and Rogue sent solar beams at two of the Cuckoos, Storm hitting a third with a lightening bolt, Kitty dropkicking the fourth. At the same time, Forge released a concealed gun from his right arm and fired at Pierce, Logan struck Leland with his claws, Jean sent a psychic blast out of the jet toward Shaw and Bobby froze Selene, causing her to fall to the rooftop of the mansion like a rock, the others falling along with her.

They managed to keep their hold on the Phoenix, however, and when they stood to confront the X-Men, the heroes found themselves facing the wrath of the fire bird.

"Uh oh…" said Bobby. "The giant flaming bird of doom is after us now…What are we gonna do, guys?"

"Dodge it and keep attacking those power hungry bastards!" was Logan's automatic response.

As the bird dove for them, they swerved and aimed for the members of the Inner Circle. Their first targets were the telepathic Cuckoos, knowing that it was because of them that the others were able to hold the beast. Bobby aimed to freeze them as Cyclops blinded them with his energy blasts. Logan and Rogue went after Shaw, and Storm helped Forge with Pierce. Jean, seeing how things were paired up, set her sights on Selene, blasting her with psychic attacks to distract her.

In the end, Selene grew enraged, not knowing who or where the attacks were coming from. At one point, she stood and outright screamed in outrage.

"EMMA! WHERE ARE YOU? I KNOW YOU'RE BEHIND THIS! SO COME ON OUT HERE AND FIGHT ME FACE TO FACE, YOU COWARDLY, TWO-FACED BITCH!"

Jean smirked to herself as she blasted Selene again from the invisible Blackbird. "I've got the psychic sorceress dazed and confused," she said to Hank to assure him that everything was working in their favor for the moment.

"Good, keep it up," he replied, steering the jet around to keep it from colliding with the Phoenix. The great bird of fire was obviously struggling to gain freedom while at the same time, having to still obey the orders of the Inner Circle. The Phoenix would be in mid-flight, making them all think that the enemy had lost control of it and it was headed to create a path of destruction, but then it would turn and dive at the X-Men once again.

Luckily for the X-Men, they had the advantage. The Inner Circle had to keep double checking themselves. Between the X-Men attacking them and trying to keep the Phoenix reigned in, it was easy to keep them flustered and confused.

Rogue had to fly around on occasion to gain more power from her friends to keep herself in the fight, and occasionally, when she got close enough, took some of the Inner Circle's powers as well.

"Keep at it!" shouted Logan as he battled Shaw on a rooftop.

Shaw smirked as Logan kept attacking him, his claws nearly useless. But then again, Logan wasn't exactly trying to defeat him. The goal was not to win, but to distract.

"What's the matter, Wolverine? Not strong enough to take me down?"

"That's what you think!" he snapped, aiming for Shaw's stomach only to have the man sidestep the attempt and land a blow to Logan's side. Logan went for him again, but this time, Shaw grabbed both of his fists, the two finding themselves locked in a battle of strength and willpower.

"Yes, that's what I think…And by the way, how's my Emma doing?"

Logan growled, not gracing the man with a response. "Quite the assent, isn't she? Very useful to your cause and to… other things."

"Whatever the hell yer tryin' to do, it aint' workin."

"Oh, so you haven't slept with her, yet?" asked Shaw in mild surprise. "I did see the way you were holding her earlier, and the way you were scared to death that she might be dead. Quite sweet…actually. But I was under the impression that you were probably just subject to lust. It is every man's downfall, sadly, especially when it comes to a woman like Emma."

"Shut it, Shaw…" Logan warned. The man had no business prying into his personal issues.

"And trust me, I would know what it's like to be under her spell after all," he continued, wanting to get Wolverine all riled up. "I mean…I have had the privilege of sleeping with her myself. Very pleasing. I must say, I have yet to meet a woman that can give a man what she can…"

Logan outright snarled this time. He'd heard enough from this bastard's mouth! He wouldn't Shaw talk that way about Emma, and Logan certainly didn't want to picture her in the arms of someone like him!

"That's enough!"

"What's wrong? You can't have thought you were her first, did you?"

"I'm warning you…" Logan growled, his voice low and dripping with the looming shadow of an unspoken threat.

"Actually, she's used her body to gain a lot of insight while working for us… Lucky thing that she's the bottled perfection of men's one weakness."

He was fuming now. This man was pissing him off, talking about Emma like she was a whore. Like she would…

But she would. And he knew it. She was that deceitful. She _would_ play upon men's weakness of the most primal form of lust. But had she really done that to him? She could have… She could have intended to do just that if he hadn't started to trust her. She could have been trying to get something out of him on the island…

No! No, that wasn't true! Emma had more than shown her devotion to him and the X-Men today and over the past few months since they'd found Jean. Logan knew that she had changed her ways, or at least…that's what he wanted to believe. That's what his heart kept telling him. She wasn't the White Queen anymore. She was Emma Frost. And he knew that what they'd done on that island, dream or not, had been real. He could feel it…

"To be honest," Shaw seemed to add as an afterthought. "I kind of miss her. I've found a lot of women since she's been gone, but she is the best at what she does."

That was it. Logan was done with this fucker. He'd pushed the envelope way too far, and now he was gonna find that pretty, rich face of his ripped from his skull.

"SHUT UP!" Logan roared as he ripped one of his fists out of Shaw's grip and aimed his metal claws straight for his eyes. Shaw ducked and dodged the attack, slipping up beside Logan with a grin.

"Oh, I see…" said the man, his hands behind his back as Logan stood poised as if Shaw was still in front of him. "It's not just lust, is it, Wolverine? Otherwise, you wouldn't be getting so upset at this very moment, would you?" he baited. "You…love her…don't you, Wolverine…?" Logan's eyes fixed on Shaw and saw the smug, arrogant, know-it-all, goading expression on the other man's face.

He'd been teasing Logan from the start, knowing that he had feelings for Emma, knowing that if he kept it up, he could really piss Logan off by pointing out that Emma had sold her body for information for the Hellfire Club. And it had worked.

But not in Shaw's favor.

"You Goddamn, fucking arrogant bastard!" Logan snarled as he went after Shaw with much more force now. He didn't say another word after that. He just kept hitting the man, forcing him further and further back toward the edge of the roof.

Shaw seemed to regret his decision to bait Logan into attacking. He'd been hoping to distract Wolverine and make him lose his focus, but that was a grave miscalculation on Shaw's part. Because when you messed with someone that Logan cared about, the Wolverine retaliated with a fury unlike any his opponents had ever seen.

Shaw struggled to keep his footing, trying to hold the Wolverine back, but it was useless now. Logan had him backed against a knee-high ledge on the rooftop, his claws at Shaw's neck, snarls ripping from his chest as if he were a rabid dog about to maul his unlucky victim.

The man smirked at Logan after a few seconds had passed. "You wouldn't kill me, would you, Wolverine? The X-Men aim to harm, not to kill, right? If you push me off this ledge, it will no doubt kill me. It will be murder. Your conscience wouldn't allow you to do such a thing, even if you are a monster."

Those words stopped Logan in his tracks. A monster. That word… It struck him like a bolt of lightening, freezing him in place.

A monster… A weapon…

But he was not a killer. He didn't want to be. He vowed never to be…

Slowly, he closed his eyes and took a breath. Could he really push Shaw over the ledge? Normally, he wouldn't have given it a thought. But after Shaw's words, he was hesitant to do so.

A monster.

A monster.

A monster.

A _monster_…

His thoughts flashed back to Emma, and he saw her laying there among the rubble of the manor almost dead. He saw her laying on the beach. He felt her hand caress his cheek, her lips cover his as he gave into the delicious surrender.

They had almost killed her. They didn't care whether she had lived or died, as long as she was out of their way. And they didn't give a damn if they lost control of that Phoenix and destroyed the entire planet. _They_ were the real monsters here.

And they were going to pay for the chaos they had caused.

Before Shaw could react, Logan had raised his right hand and aimed for the man's face with a roar, causing Shaw to reel back to avoid being scathed. As Shaw's balance was thrown, Logan lifted his left leg to kick him, sending him tumbling down from the thirty storey building with a loud, terrified scream.

Logan walked away from the ledge, not caring if he _had _killed the man. As far as he was concerned, that meant that one link was down. There were seven more to go.

Forge and Pierce stood on an adjourning rooftop, Pierce staring Forge down with a death glare as he stepped for the X-Man.

"You're the one that took control of me," he accused, clearly giving the impression that he had a score to settle.

Forge took a step back, not bothering to deny that he was intimidated by the robotic man. "Uh…Yeah…About that…" he stammered as he backed up even further, silently begging that the Cyborg didn't kill him.

"I don't like to be toyed with, boy," rumbled Pierce, raising his arms as they transformed into the laser cannons again, both of them aimed at the terrified Forge.

Forge shook, wishing that he could find a way out of this… Then he stood straight and stopped his quivering. Was he a man, or was he a mouse?

Neither. He was an X-Man. And X-Men didn't back down!

He set his jaw and raised his right arm to produce his plasma gun, his right knee giving way to a device that shot blades instead of bullets. He would face this cyborg and he would destroy him. He would do it. He could do it. He would-

SHEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRR!

Forge blinked and looked up to see Rogue as she flew by, freezing Pierce and inhibiting his ability to attack.

"Storm, now!" she called, and Ororo responded with an electric blast at Pierce.

Forge lowered his right hand, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with his other arm as he sighed in relief. "Phew… That was a close one."

Logan was now fighting Leland who was smart enough not to bring up the subject of Emma. Unfortunately for the other man, however, Logan was still pissed off, so even the man with extreme brute force was breaking a sweat trying to block Wolverine's attacks.

Scott, Rogue and Storm blasted everyone who crossed their paths, weakening their mental and physical stamina. Shaw and Pierce were down. Now all that remained of the Inner Circle was Leland, Selene, and the four Cuckoos.

Jean was keeping Selene more than busy, still making her believe that Emma was playing tricks on her, so Bobby and Kitty helped Logan take Leland out.

"The time is coming near," Jean said to Hank as they continued to fly around the scene in the jet. "Two of them are down, and the others' hold on the Phoenix is slipping. When I tell you, get me near enough to it so that I can recapture it."

"Affirmative," said Beast.

Leland was the next to fall, leaving Selene and the Cuckoos. Kitty joined Jean in playing head games with the flustered, pissed off sorceress while the others focused all their attention on the Cuckoos. Without the brute force of the other members of the Inner Circle, the Cuckoos were nearly defenseless. Now they were the only ones holding onto the Phoenix, so they couldn't put up much of a fight against the six X-Men.

Selene's own power was draining, so Jean sent a message to Bobby telling him to help Kitty finish her off.

"Hank, they're slipping. Get me down there," she commanded.

He obeyed, lowering the ramp of the Jet as Jean made her way out onto it. She wasn't afraid of the height since she was able to fly with her telekinesis, but it was going to be difficult to draw the Phoenix back inside of her mind without Hank and the jet being in danger. And she knew she couldn't keep herself levitating as she drew it in, either. After seeing how drained Emma had been after taking it in, Jean knew that she'd lose her grip on her own powers and would fall to her death.

She scanned the area below her and finally found a safe place away from the fight, but near enough to the Phoenix. She ran back to Beast and pointed to a satellite tower. "Get me down there."

Again, he obeyed, lowering the jet so that she could easily float to the top of the tower.

Everything was in place… Her friends just needed to take out the Cuckoos and the beast would be free to return to its original host. All it took was a few more hits…

Bobby and Kitty had taken on the task of finishing off the vampire chick, but it seemed that even after all of the hit's she'd taken, Selene was still able to hold her own.

"You pathetic children, trying to be heroes! You don't stand a chance against me!" she spat. Knowing she couldn't pin Kitty down, she sent a spell at the girl before she had a chance to turn intangible, then attacked Bobby, pinning him.

"What a beautiful boy you are… And your life force is still strong, even though you're losing a good bit of stamina. You will do…"

Bobby inhaled, getting ready to freeze her and stop her oncoming attack, but he screamed instead as she began to drain his life force.

"Bobby!" cried Kitty in horror. "You…GET AWAY FROM HIM!" She ran for Selene only to have the sorceress turn and shoot another spell at her before taking her life force as well. Now Kitty and Bobby lay unconscious as Selene stood between them, her strength and energy replenished, her eyes as wild as her now untamed hair. The X-Men were going to pay for this…

Jean readied herself as she watched Logan, Storm, Scott, Rogue, and Forge finish off the Cuckoos. One down, there were three left. Come on, Jean pled silently. Come on, come on, come on…

"YOU!"

Jean turned at once to see Selene jumping at her. She dodged the attack, but the spells were flying every which way. Jean tried to hit her with more psychic attacks, but she'd been caught off guard and she couldn't regain her balance.

"So it was you who was attacking me with your mind mombo jumbo! Well, I'll make sure you and your little friends don't continue to ruin our plans!"

Jean had no choice but to grit her teeth and go toe to toe with Selene as the other X-Men tried to pin the Cuckoos.

Emma gave a moan, and she tossed her head from one side to the other before her eyes fluttered open. She looked to her left and saw Beast steering the Blackbird. She was in the jet? Where were the others? Where was Logan? Jean?

She sat up and held a hand to her head, casting a glance out of the windshield. She gasped when she saw the scene before her.

"No," she said in a strained whisper.

Hank turned to her, a bit of relief washing over him at seeing that she was alright. "You're awake-"

"Henry, get me down there," she demanded, hastily unbuckling herself and standing.

"But Emma, you can't-"

"I must! Don't you see, they can't win this without me! None of them stand a chance! None of them!"

"But you've just recovered from-"

"Do it!" she said again."

"I can't," he argued. "Logan said-"

Emma didn't have time to argue. She pushed him from the chair and took over the controls, steering the jet around to get a better view of the damage. It seemed that the only ones left of the Inner Circle were the Cuckoos, but the Phoenix was obviously in their control and if they were defeated, it would be free to destroy everything.

Her eyes widened upon seeing Jean fighting Selene on the satellite tower. God, no, thought Emma. Jean was no match for Selene who looked like she'd gained an energy boost.

It was time for Emma to rejoin the fight. She aimed the Blackbird for the satellite, and when she was close enough, she abandoned the controls, sure that Hank would take over immediately as she ran for the opening hatch.

"Emma, no!" called Beast as he tried to steer the Blackbird away. But it was too late. Emma had already jumped.

Jean couldn't keep fighting much longer. Blocking Selene's continuous attacks while trying to land her own was draining her fast.

"You can't win! You're nothing to me, you pathetic redhead!" Selene screeched.

Jean glowered at her. "Is that what you think? Well I'm sorry to have to prove you wrong, but we'll see about that!"

Two Cuckoos down. Two left. The X-Men aimed all of their attacks at the two remaining telepaths. The girls screamed as they tried to hold onto the Phoenix. It was useless. They were tired, mentally and physically, and the invisible reigns on the great bird of destruction were shattered…

And suddenly, the Phoenix was free.

With a loud screech of freedom, it rose into the air, growing four times in size, the fiery blaze blinding. Jean gasped as she deflected another of Selene's spells, then gathered all of her mental strength to send another psychic blast to the sorceress.

Selene stumbled back and fell, leaving Jean free to turn toward the gargantuan bird as it prepared to take flight and destroy the city.

"I'm down here!" she called to the beast. "I'm right here! It's me you want, so come and get me! I'm ready for you!"

The Phoenix seemed to hear her and it struggled for a minute, trying to resist the pull of its host. It couldn't resist, however, and it flew right at her, just as she'd planned.

"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Jean turned, startled, only to be grabbed by an irate Selene. She screamed as the psychic vampire worked to drain her of what was left of her powers and her energy, the Phoenix approaching.

Something collided with the back of Selene's head, and she fell to the side, releasing Jean from her hold and sparing her life. It was Emma's diamond-clad foot that had struck Selene, but the other woman was up again almost instantly.

"Emma!" she exclaimed in surprise, her voice somewhere between a gasp and a horrified scream. "I thought you were dead!" she hissed.

"Think again, Selene!" Emma yelled back, aiming her fist at Selene's face as the Phoenix dove toward them, but turned back up toward the sky, its target now laying motionless on the tower. The bird ripped the satellite down, setting the whole tower ablaze.

Selene and Emma fought neck and neck, trying to destroy the other for good, while Hank had turned off the jet's stealth mode and was acting as a distraction to keep the Phoenix in one area.

"Guys, look!" yelled Rogue, pointing to the scene on the satellite tower. Bobby and Kitty had risen and joined the others, and now they all followed Rogue's eyes, shocked at what they saw.

"That's not good," said Forge.

Of course, Logan's eyes focused on Emma, wondering what the hell she was doing. She couldn't have fully recovered yet! So why was she fighting that witch?

He growled in frustration and fear. "Storm, Rogue, get us over there!"

The girls did as instructed and lifted Logan, Scott, Bobby, Kitty and Forge into the air, making their way to the fight between the diamond skinned telepath and the psychic vampire sorceress.

"Give it up, Emma! You and I both know I'm superior to you in every way possible!"

"Keep bitching, Selene, maybe you'll talk me to death," Emma shot back, dodging a spell and aiming her foot at the woman's stomach.

Selene jumped out of the way and shot spell after spell at her rival, the White Queen, waiting for her chance to deliver the final blow.

Emma gritted her teeth, having no choice but to revert to her original form in order be able to fight back. She miscalculated the placement of her footing, though, as she sent a psychic blast at Selene, receiving a burning spell to her chest. She fell to her knees, gathering the strength to create a mental barrier around herself while she recouped.

But it didn't take long before Selene broke the barrier and ran for her.

"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Wolverine collided with Selene before she had a chance hit Emma with a final attack, the two tumbling to the burning rooftop. He held her down hard, keeping her hands pinned so that she couldn't use her spells on him.

"Wolverine! Come to save his girlfriends!" she taunted, speaking of both Emma and Jean. "You're pathetic!"

"We'll see who's pathetic!" he snarled as he held her wrists above her head with one hand, the claws of his other hand raising, preparing to slice the evil bitch's head from her shoulders.

But Selene managed to wriggle a hand free of his grasp, and it shot to his face to take his life force, stopping his attack.

"Logan!" cried Emma as she tried to get to her feet. Meanwhile, the Phoenix was creating a path of fiery destruction around the city, growing in power and size, and it wouldn't' be long until it had consumed the entire area. They had to do something to stop it, and quickly.

"Don't worry!" shouted Forge. "I've got this!" He pointed the gun in his right arm for Selene and fired. He'd hit his mark and her arm fell away, releasing Logan from her touch of death long enough for him to finish his attack. He didn't take off her head, but he did stab her in the chest as hard as he could, the blood splattering over both of them and pooling on the roof. She screamed in anger and agony as he gave a jerk, then pulled his claws from her body and got to his feet.

He stared down at her, watching her suffer, and took pleasure in knowing that he'd avenged his fellow teammates by taking her down. She deserved what she got, and he held no sympathy for her.

"Logan!" cried Storm, pointing. "Stop her!"

Emma had risen and ran from the others as soon as Logan had stabbed Selene, ending her reign of terror. She knew what she had to do to end this nightmare, and she was going to do it. It was her duty to the X-Men and to the entire world. She _must_ stop the Phoenix's path of destruction and finish this once and for all.

As she ran toward the flaming bird, she allowed herself to remember that island, and to remember Logan. Her lover, her soul mate, her world. Remembering his touch and his kiss and his warmth gave her the courage and the strength to go through with this final move that would end it all.

Logan ran after her, the others following. "Frost!" he yelled. He couldn't let her take that beast inside of her again. She was too weak. He didn't want to lose her-he couldn't. He was already dying inside as he tried to reach her-tried to stop her. But she was already too far ahead…

No, he thought. No, no, she can't do this. She can't… Emma…

She reached the edge of the burning tower and jumped, soaring through the air and landing on the roof of the building beside it.

This was it. She was no longer afraid.

Beast had turned the Blackbird around, luring the Phoenix straight toward her. She skidded to a halt as she reached the far edge of the building, waiting, fearless.

"Come on! Come to me!" she demanded of the bright, flaming bird. Having no other telepaths calling to it, it did as she commanded.

As Logan reached the edge of the tower, he tried to jump after her, but the others stopped him, holding him back.

"Logan, no!" shouted Rogue over the roar of the flames that surrounded them and the screech of the Phoenix. "You can't stop her, it's too late!"

"No! Frost! Emmmaaaa!" He bellowed her name at the top of his lungs, begging her to hear him, to turn around and run the other way.

Emma did hear him, and with a tear in her eye, took in the Phoenix as it collided with her.

It was hell… It burned her, inside and out. It was much, much stronger than when she'd held it the first time. She screamed in pain, willing herself strength. Logan's face filled her thoughts, as did his voice as he called to her. For him… For Logan…

She couldn't hold it in this time… The power, the force, was just too much to handle. She transformed into diamond as the Phoenix finished it's transition into her body in one last attempt to hold it.

Emma staggered, clutching her chest, nearly breathless and in the worst agony she'd every imagined. As she bent her head, her vision blurring, she pictured him again… She pictured being with him, in his arms. She imagined the feel of his lips on her skin, his hands over her body, his words echoing in her thoughts…

"_I love you, Frost…" _

She smiled weakly. "Logan…" She whispered, replying to the memory. "I love you, too…"

"Emma!" Logan called one last time, but it was too late.

The brave woman of diamond had shattered into a million pieces.

**A/N:** I did take one aspect of this from First Class, for anyone who caught it. Just saying. ;]


	19. Chapter 19

Shock. It was on the face of every X-Man as they watched the shards of diamond fall from the sky like crystal rain. The beautiful, fearless, blond telepath was with them no longer, and neither was the Phoenix.

She had done it. She had successfully destroyed the Force that had threatened to turn the world to ash. But she had ended up sacrificing herself in the process. Now, her friends were left in shock, and soon, grief, for the loss of their fellow comrade.

Logan, however, was the most damaged by her sudden demise. He stared on at the place where she'd last stood, his heart in as many pieces as her body. He tried denying the facts-what his eyes had just witnessed-but it was useless. She was gone. Forever. And he'd never get to tell her how much he still loved her.

He dropped to one knee, still staring at that same spot, his eyes wide, his mouth open in disbelief.

A shard dropped on the ledge in front of him, and he looked down at it. His hand shook as he reached to pick it up and examine it.

She was gone… How was that possible? How could he have let this happen? Why hadn't he stopped her? Why…?

His eyes closed tight as he tried desperately to hold back tears. It was rare when the Wolverine cried. So rare that none of the X-Men ever recalled him doing so. Now, it was hard for him to control. The last few months, he'd been in a kind of denial about his feelings toward the woman who'd initially lied to all of them. Even though he could plainly see that she had changed, and that she was truly on their side, he hadn't let himself get near her, let alone trust and confide in her.

But he'd loved her the entire time. And he'd never, in all those months, been able to admit it. Ever since she'd told him the whole truth, he hadn't let himself give into the many feelings within his tortured heart.

Now he realized he should have.

The other X-Men didn't know what to say or do as they looked down at Logan, their hearts breaking a second time for the devastated Wolverine. They all remembered the little joke they'd played on he and Emma, and how the two had fallen so deeply in love, even if they hadn't said a word about it in the past few months.

Rogue stepped forward after a moment and laid a hand on his shoulder. She could feel him shaking, trying to hold back his emotions, a task that wasn't normally so difficult for him.

"Logan…" she said quietly, not really sure what to say, but wanting to be there for the man that was like her brother anyway.

He turned his head in the opposite direction with a grunt. "Leave me alone!" he growled, not wanting to face the others at that moment. He hated people sharing in his misery. When he was upset, he would much rather be left by himself.

Rogue's hand left him and she backed up a step, looking to her friends in desperation. They all returned her plea with slight shakes of their heads, telling her it was best to just back off and leave the man to his sorrows.

Rogue closed her eyes and turned away from Logan to rejoin the rest of her friends as the Blackbird's ramp lowered onto the roof of the burning tower. As the others headed into the jet, Storm called forth a light drizzle that eliminated the flames.

Jean stayed behind on the rooftop, away from Logan, as she peered down at the street below. That could have been her… She could have been blown to smithereens. Only, there wouldn't have been anything left of her to pick up. Emma was in pieces, in shards of diamond.

The woman had saved her. Again. She had jumped in in order to stop Jean from taking in the Phoenix and being destroyed. How could Jean repay such a favor? Especially now that Emma was…

She covered her mouth with one hand, tears filling her own eyes. She owed Emma. She owed her, somehow. But there was nothing they could do for the woman now except to honor her memory.

Removing her hand from her face, she put her arms out in front of her and concentrated, letting her powers do the searching for her until she found all of the shards of the fallen hero with the exception of the one Logan still held in his hand. With what remained of her strength, Jean pulled them all to her until they floated around her as if she were their master.

She walked aboard the Blackbird, the pieces following her until she found a place to put them where they would be safe until they returned home.

They left Logan to himself on the top of the tower, knowing he was in no mood to return to the mansion with them. He didn't move for a long time as he knelt there, clutching the piece of diamond as if his life depended on it. Frustration, grief, and anger got to him eventually, and he lifted his head and yelled, letting all of his emotions free.

He returned to the mansion the next day, but no one dared to talk to him. Not yet. They knew that when Logan was really upset over something, it was best to just leave him in peace. He became like Summers in a way, mourning the loss of the woman he loved. But unlike Scott, he didn't sit in his room and pout. He went about business as usual, just…quietly. And when they had a mission, a job to do, it was Wolverine whose rage took out the enemy. He seemed ruthless, aggressive-more so than usual.

And whenever the other X-Men were in the same room or area with Logan, the tension that followed him was nearly palpable. It gave everyone the most uncomfortable of sensations, and they took whatever chance they could to leave. If they did try to talk to him, he responded with anger and bitterness, often saying things he regretted later on.

But the others weren't aware that he was haunted, night after night, by the exaggerated memory of Emma's death. He'd lie awake for the longest time, resisting the pull of sleep. But he couldn't stay conscious all night. Eventually, he drifted off only to come face to face with her as she screamed bloody murder, her entire body in flames. Her eyes reflected the fire just as they had when the Inner Circle had released the Phoenix for the second time. Each time he had that terrible nightmare, he tried with all his might to save her. And each time, he failed.

He'd wake up sweating and shaking, cursing himself for being so damn weak. And he'd let a few tears fall as he thought of holding Emma in his arms again.

One afternoon, Logan stood out upon the cliff in back of the Institute, much like Scott had done a few months prior. He was thinking, dreaming, wishing, and regretting. Just as he did every day since she'd gone.

Jean, like the others, couldn't stand to see him so miserable. She couldn't remember a time when he'd acted in such a way. But she, too, felt at least some of his pain. She missed Emma. They all did. Things simply didn't feel the same without her. And Jean's erg to comfort the man she called her very dear friend overcame her as she watched him stand there, lost in thought out on the cliff.

She walked down the hill to him cautiously, not wanting to startle or anger him. He had been so unstable lately, they'd all begun to question his sanity. But even the strongest of men were powerless against the anguish of a broken heart.

Jean went to touch him, but thought better of it, dropping her hand midway through the motion. A bit hesitantly, she began to speak.

"Logan…?"

He didn't say anything to acknowledge her, but she knew he was aware of her presence. He'd heard her, and most likely, he could smell her as she stood behind him. She continued.

"I won't say I'm sorry, because I know that gets old after awhile… But I want you to know that you don't have to be alone. We all love you and care for you. You don't have to face this by yourself." She paused, waiting to see if he would respond, but he didn't, so she went on.

"I miss her a lot, too. She had become one of my best friends. She helped me to regain all of my memories, and to take control of my powers again. And she saved my life… I wish that there was something I could do to repay her for everything she did-for all of us. But there really isn't. All we can do is honor her memory and move on…you know?"

Logan's face twisted in anger, and he growled, but said nothing. Jean sighed.

"Logan, just know that if you need anything, I'm here for you. And so are the others. Just…come to us, and-"

"Would you shut up?" he bellowed, turning on her. "I'm fine! I don't need you, or anyone, telling me it's gonna be ok! I already know that! So leave me the fuck alone! I don't want your pep talks!"

Jean stepped back, startled, as he stormed past her and back up to the mansion. When he reached the top of the hill, Rogue was standing there by the tennis court. She watched him come closer with sadness in her eyes. She, too, never recalled him acting this way, but now it was starting to scare her.

He stopped in front of Rogue and looked down at her with a dark expression, nary a word being said. Then he resumed his trek inside. He had to leave. He had to get away from the Institute to clear his head.

So he took his bike for a long drive up north. He needed solitude. The quiet of the mountains. The frigid cold. He needed all of these things to get rid of the terrible sting of reality.

Eventually, he found himself up in the mountains where he'd faced the Hulk. He reveled in the snow and the cold because it was good for clearing his head and it made his efforts to relax not so useless. He found a cave and sat inside to meditate, to try to take away the pain that had buried itself deep inside of him.

Later that day, he walked further up into the mountains, the snow plummeting down and blurring his vision. His goal was to lose himself to the blizzard in which he found himself, and for a time, it worked. He was growing weary and was unable to focus on any specific thought.

At last, he fell against a tree to rest and to try and catch his breath. He was used to the cold from living up North for a time, but he'd never spent so much time in blizzards.

As he leaned against the tree, he reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out the diamond he kept there against his breast.

_Emma…_ He wished she was with him. Or better yet, he wished she was back at the Institute…so he could go home. And be happy. And not want to be alone…

_Frost… God dammit, come back… I love you. I need you…_

What a worthless request. She was dead. She didn't take a trip. She wasn't lost. She was dead…

It was growing increasingly hard to see, and Logan closed his eyes to protect them. The weariness began to take over and he couldn't stop himself from losing consciousness. He slipped from the tree and fell on his side into the snow, the new flakes falling upon his body and covering his wild, black hair, the shard of diamond still in his fist. All he felt was the quick relief of the ice beneath him, then nothing.

x-X-x

She felt warmth…always warmth, as if she were being embraced. She felt a heartbeat, heard a voice, felt a caress every now and then. It was like being in a dream, but keeping your eyes closed. Things…seemed to stay that way for a very long time. At least, it felt like an eternity. But it wasn't hell. It was a kind of bliss. She felt as if she were sleeping… A long, deep slumber… And soon, she would wake to find the real world just as it had been before.

Cold… A bitter chill touched her. Warmth again. Then, she felt that chill return, creeping all throughout her being and stirring her to wake, and to open her eyes to what was before her.

And no wonder she'd felt so cold. As she looked around, all she saw was snow and ice. She could barely see much past her own nose. But how had she gotten all the way out here…?

A glance down gave her the answer. She frowned upon seeing Logan's ice-covered form laying in the snow. She knelt down beside him and placed a hand over his shoulder. Dear God, what had become of him? How long had it been? Why was he so alone?

Then she remembered… Emotions. They'd come to her too while she lay in a trance, in a sort of dream-like state. The strongest emotion was pain and heartache. It had felt only vaguely familiar before, but now she recognized it fully.

Her hand rand down along his arm to his slightly open hand, and within it, she touched a piece of herself. A diamond.

So that's where the warmth had come from, along with all of the other wonderful sensations she'd experienced. He'd been keeping a piece of her with him. She touched his temple and looked into his thoughts. Yes, that was where the pain came from. She frowned. He was grieving for her. He still loved her and missed her terribly. He regretted not telling her so.

She wrapped her arms about his sleeping form, knowing he couldn't feel her, but wanting to do something to help him. She concentrated-with all of her might-in order to harness her powers and create a kind of barrier around him. It wouldn't keep the snow away, but it would keep him from freezing as he slept beneath her. Closing her eyes, she devoted another piece of her concentration somewhere else.

There was a beach. It looked familiar to her, but at the same time, something seemed very different. As she looked around, she noted that the view hadn't changed, but rather, the atmosphere. The island held a feeling of longing, of loneliness. It felt deserted. No animals inhabited the place, except for a lone seagull that flew way out over the ocean.

She turned to find one other being in this strangely lifeless place. It was Logan. He was watching the sea with the most blank of expressions. There wasn't any kind of passion to his features, not anger, not joy, not even sadness. However, his all-around tone seemed sad. Lost. He wasn't the same Wolverine he had been when she'd last seen him. He was a changed man: weathered and weary. As if he'd grown older.

Her heart gave a lurch as she watched him. He most definitely wasn't the Wolverine she'd fallen in love with.

As if by some great force, his head turned toward her, taking in the sight of her as if he didn't quite believe she was real. But as she looked on, his expression began to change. Her presence began to register within his mind and his eyes grew wide in disbelief.

She tilted her head, slowly taking a few tentative steps toward him as she let the fact that she was here in front of him sink in. As she reached him, she gave a light smile.

"Logan…" she whispered.

It took awhile before he was able to respond. Was it really her? Was she really standing before him, unshattered and unscathed? It couldn't be… He'd watched her break right before his very eyes. She couldn't possibly be with him now. And yet…

"Frost…?"

She stepped closer, her arms out, reaching to him. "Yes, Logan. It's me." As she reached him, she cupped his face in her hands and looked up into his confused, emotion filled eyes. "Darling, I'm here… Don't look so dreadful…"

"But…how? I don't understand how you can be standing in front of me right now…I watched you. I saw…" His own hands slowly rose to take hold of her upper arms as he stared back at her, unsure if he was in reality, or if he was dreaming.

"I know what you saw… Yes, it happened. But that doesn't change the fact that I haven't gone anywhere."

His face contorted with uncertainty. But the longer he gazed into her icy blue eyes, he began to realize that he was, in fact, dreaming. This was not real life. This place, these feelings, the woman before him… They were all figments of his imagination, a result of his subconscious. He was sleeping. And this was only a wistful dream. A far cry from reality.

Dream or reality, though, he couldn't deny that in that moment, he felt as if he were in Heaven. She was there, standing before him, touching him. He could feel her and see her and hold her and kiss her.

With a growl of desperation, his mouth claimed hers in a heated, passionate kiss. Emma reveled in the wondrous sensation as her eyes drifted closed and she let him ravish her lips, her face, her neck, his hands traveling along her body in the most delicious way.

How long had it been? How long had she gone without the feel of his arms around her, his hands on her, his mouth hot and demanding against hers?

Too damn long… Way too damn long. It felt so wonderful, so perfect, so right. For months, she'd wondered if Logan would ever find it within himself to open his heart to her again. She'd thought for sure that he'd never accept her as a friend, let alone a lover in the real would outside of their too-good-to-be-true dream. And now, here they were, wrapped up in each other once again. And Logan seemed as desperate for her as she was for him.

His lips left hers and he nuzzled his face into her neck. Emma opened her eyes halfway, her arms still around his hard body. He began to shake… He knew they weren't in the real world.

"Oh…darling, no, don't cry," she pled as she felt a tear fall upon her bare shoulder. She, too, knew that the Wolverine wasn't one to give into tears and emotions. But a peek into his thoughts told her that inside, he was dying. His heart cried for her to live again, to be with him as she had been on the island-the one on which they found themselves standing at that very moment.

She turned her head to kiss his cheek and to brush her lips over his face in a loving caress. Her hands stroked his back and his arms, and she held him close.

At last, she forced herself to pull back and look up into his face once more. She smiled a genuine smile and touched his face with the fingertips of her right hand.

"Logan, you must understand… I'm not gone. I'm still here with you. Always. I've been here all along."

"Yeah…Only in my head…" he said bitterly.

She frowned and lowered her arms. "No, Logan… Baby, don't you see? You've carried me with you since that night…" She lifted her left hand which was clenched in a fist, then turned it over and opened it to reveal the piece of diamond.

Logan stared down at it, not sure what to make of her action. "How did…you…?"

She reached out to place the shard into his open palm, then closed his fingers around it. "Keep it with you. Keep it safe. And I'll never leave your side. Wherever you go, Logan, I'll be with you."

Logan began to grow angry. Didn't she understand? Dreamland wasn't the same as real life. Being with someone in spirit wasn't the same as _really_ being with them.

"No! You're gone! I can't hold you or touch you or even look at you unless it's…here! In a fuckin dream!"

Emma shook her head. He didn't seem to understand at all. "Logan…please, listen. I'm not what you think… I'm not gone…"

"I saw it. With my own two eyes, Frost, I saw it. You shattered! Gone!"

"No…" Again, she shook her head. "You only think that's what you saw. But I'm not dead…" She ran a hand through his hair, bringing her face closer to his. "I'm alive… I'm just not whole."

His brows furrowed and he frowned, his eyes full of curiosity and skepticism. "You can't be alive if you're not in one piece…Yer dead."

"No. I'm not."

His frown deepened as he gazed into her eyes. You couldn't be alive if your body wasn't in tact. You needed a brain, a heart, arms and legs and a head and blood. It made no sense that she could still be alive. None whatsoever.

"Darling…you think too much," she whispered as her lips brushed against his. "I'm not dead…or I wouldn't be able to enter your thoughts and your dreams as I am doing right now…"

A feeling of ecstasy washed over him as he let her lips play upon his. What if she was right? What if she was still alive? What if what he thought he'd seen…wasn't the truth?

"Rest your mind, love, and come with me…"

She stepped back and took his hand, leading him to the water as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "You don't need to think right now…Just feel. We are together once more, and I don't plan to waste the moment…"

Logan, unable to think of an excuse not to enjoy her company, real or not, didn't protest as she led him into the water until they were in up to their chests. Emma stepped to him and wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him again. Logan couldn't resist and he responded hungrily. What utter bliss it was to be with the woman he loved at last. At that moment, he didn't care if it was all just a dream. If it were a dream, he didn't wish to wake.

God, she felt so damn good against him. Her skin was as soft as he remembered it, her lips warm and sensual. Her soft breasts against his chest had him wishing for more than just passionate kisses.

But too soon, she pulled away with a grin, then pushed herself onto her back upon the surface of the ocean. She raised her head to gaze at him with an appealing look, and Logan felt the desire within him grow stronger. It had been too long…

But honestly, he was ok with just being with her. Yes, it was a dream, but it was a good dream. It wasn't a nightmare like the many that had plagued him over the past few weeks since their battle with the Inner Circle. With a smile, he waded over to her and walked with her, a hand on her stomach, as she floated along. Their eyes stayed locked to one another for the longest time, lost in the beautiful fantasy.

After awhile, Logan leaned down to kiss her again, softly this time. Her hand came up to play in his hair. He groaned a little against her lips and she smiled.

Logan felt the pull…He knew this glorious scene was coming to an end… He was beginning to regain consciousness.

No…No, he couldn't lose this precious time…Not without saying what he'd been dying to say for so long…

"Emma…" he breathed through their deepening kiss. She continued to stroke his hair and the back of his neck. "Emma..Emma…" he pulled away a fraction as she began to fade from sight, her image being replaced by a wall of snow. "I love you…"

Her lips touched his once more and the pair closed their eyes as they began to drift further apart. "Oh darling, I love you, too…"

**A/N:** Alright a few notes as always… Um… I'm really sorry if this seems a little OOC… But I do know that even Logan gets depressed when he loses someone. In Origins, for example, he gets really angry when he thinks Victor killed Kayla. In X3, he cried when Xavier died, and he cried when he had to kill Jean. He does have sensitive spots, and I know that when he really cares for someone, it hurts him when something happens to them.

Secondly, I know the depression thing didn't last too long, but I HATE dragging out depressing shit. -_- And inspiration for the mountain came from the songs _So Cold_ and_ Without You_ by Breaking Benjamin. I think that's all I've got to say…for now. =] Please, please, pleaseee review! =D


	20. Chapter 20

His eyes flew open, but he closed them again almost immediately as he was hit with a blast of biting wind and snow. He sat up, his face cold and his eyes stinging, and he looked at the little diamond that still lay in his gloved hand. He looked around. Frost…

He shook his head. It had been a dream. Nothing more. The emptiness hit him like the driving blizzard around him, and he shook with anger and despair. Who would care if he stayed up here in these mountains until he froze to death? Who would miss him if he never came back?

Of course they all would. But would he miss them, too, as he looked upon the Earth from either Heaven or Hell? Would it matter to him that he had let them down if he couldn't be happy living without the woman he loved?

Of course, he wouldn't really dwell on such weak thoughts. Yes, he was hurting. Yes, he was in the worst pain he'd ever endured, but no, he was not one to think seriously about dying. He would feel sorry for himself for awhile, but he knew that the agony would pass eventually, become a dull, distant memory that only hurt when he stopped to think about it. He would move on with his life, the same way he did each time his heart was ripped from his chest, as if he didn't deserve to be happy.

And how fair was it? He would always think he'd found the answer to his prayers, some sort of happiness or closure. He'd find a home, someone to love, to call his family or his friend, and then…His world would shatter, come tumbling down around him, forcing him to move forward in search of that elusive paradise that he so longed to find.

That's what had happened to him once again. He'd found a woman he'd come to love more than life itself, and she, too, had been taken away, ripped from his reluctant arms, and he only had himself to blame for not holding her tighter. Now what was he to do? What was he to look forward to now that his heart was yet again-quite literally-in pieces?

Emma watched the poor excuse for a man as he sat, drowning in his sorrows in the frozen mountains of the Canadian Rockies. It was hard for her to believe that after all that time, he sill held feelings for her. They'd barely spoken a word outside of what was necessary ever since they'd found Jean. She had thought he'd never trust her again, let alone love her the way he'd once said he did.

Sure, she could have read his thoughts. But she hadn't wanted to. She had been afraid of what she might find if she dared to venture into the unknown Wolverine. Would she see herself dying by his claws the way he'd tried to kill her on the island? Would she see something worse? One could only guess at what terrible things the man could come up with within his dark, troubled mind, and Emma hadn't wanted to find the truth.

Perhaps she should have. Maybe if she had taken that chance, she could have seen into his heart as well, could have known that his behavior towards her was due to denial and fear. Maybe she could have had one last night with him.

Not that it would have mattered. Either way, the end result would have been the same. She still would have ended up being destroyed by the Phoenix, and it might have been harder on both of them.

However, Logan didn't seem to quite understand what had really happened to her. It had taken weeks for Emma to focus and concentrate all of her energy into the one shard he kept with him at all times. Being split into a million tiny pieces had also split up her power. Her telepathy was weak, but she could muster enough to communicate with him for awhile the way she'd done in his dream. The hardest part, though, was to communicate with Logan while he was awake.

That's what she attempted to do at that moment. It took a few tries, but eventually, she found herself standing in front of him again as he sat in the snow and ice in the middle of a blizzard.

"Logan…" she whispered.

Funny, he thought, how he could still hear her voice as clear as day even with the wind whistling in his ears. Great, now the mountain was playing tricks on him…Even mother nature wanted to taunt and tease him until he descended into madness.

She tried again. "Logan, look at me…"

He growled and shook his head. "Fuckin' wind! Shut up already! I've had enough of this shit! Leave me alone!"

"Logan." Emma knelt in front of him, her hands resting on his upper arms. "It isn't a trick. I'm here…"

Logan opened his eyes when he felt a touch, light as a feather, but remarkably familiar. He lifted his gaze and his jaw dropped as he saw her before him like a ghost. She wasn't whole. She wasn't solid. He couldn't really reach out and touch her, although he lifted his hand to try to touch her shoulder. But she was there, either way. She was with him. And it wasn't a dream.

"Emma?" he said, his gruff voice cracking. He wasn't sure whether he should be glad to see her or not. She wasn't really Emma…was she?

"Yes, Logan. I'm here. Just like I was in your dream." Her face held a tenderness he'd never observed within her before. She looked half afraid, concerned. But she also looked determined and strong. She had a calm authority in her eyes, and for once, he didn't care if she ordered him around. As long as he could hear her sweet, feminine voice soft upon his ears, he would gladly jump off a cliff is she told him to.

"How? How are ya here? If I'm aint' dreamin', and I aint' hallucinatin'."

Her full, blue, glossy lips turned down a little in a frown. "I told you…I'm not dead. Just broken."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is, I'm still here. My spirit, my mind, my power; it still lives. I simply don't have a body in which to put it all together."

His face contorted as he stared back at her, not quite comprehending what was going on. "How is that possible?"

She raised her arms to cup his face is her hands with an expression that conveyed deep love and understanding. She wanted him to understand, to know that she was safe, that there was still a chance for her.

"It doesn't matter, Logan. All that matters is that you and I are together again. I love you…I truly do. And if there's any way for me to be whole again, then it's worth a try, if only I can be with you. You're all that means anything to me. Don't you understand? I'm not the woman I used to be."

Logan tried to touch her again, to hold her, but he couldn't, and the ache in his heart only grew despite the fact that they were speaking face to face.

"Yeah…I get it, Frost." He looked at her with desperation in his eyes, as if begging her for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, Emma… Dammit, I feel like a fuckin' idiot for not telling ya the truth-how much I love you." Pain flicked across his face. "I'd give anything in the world if I could just hold ya again…" His fingers came up to her cheek, and although she could feel it, she knew he could not. This time, the pain stayed with him, making her own heart ache a little more.

"Shhh…You don't need to say more. I know…And I promise you, it will all be okay in the end."

"Tell me how?" he demanded. "How will it be okay? How can-"

He was cut off by a heavier gust of wind, and Emma cringed as she stood. He shot to his feet as well, and stared at her in shock as she began to fade from sight.

"My power…it's fading. I can't…"

He called to her, reached for her to no avail. She vanished, a tiny light remaining and floating to the shard in his hand, sinking into it, the vessel that held a part of her mind. Could it really be true? Was there a way to save her? Or was it all just wishful thinking?

There was only one way to find out if what she said was true. As the storm raged on around him, he headed back down the mountain. It was time to return home, where he belonged, and where there was a chance that maybe-just maybe-he could retrieve his happiness once again.

**x-X-x**

Dr. Henry McCoy and Miss Jean Grey worked together down in the subbasement with Forge as they worked and reworked a new invention that could possibly help with fighting the Sentinels that still remained a threat from the MRD. So far, they weren't having much luck. In the past weeks, they'd fought a few of the giant robots, and each time, they only barely escaped alive.

"Ah, I'm beginning to think this is hopeless, guys," Forge sighed, shaking his head.

"We can't give up, yet," said Jean. "We need to find a way to beat those things. Otherwise, it could mean the destruction of all mutants."

"She's right," said Henry. "We have to keep trying."

The whoosh of the motion activated doors behind them made them all turn to see who had joined them, but they were taken aback when they saw that it wasn't either Scott, Rogue or Ororo.

"Logan!" Henry exclaimed in surprise. "You're back! Welcome home."

Logan stormed into the room breathing heavily, sweat on his brow. "Where are the shards?" he demanded as he reached the three of them. Jean and Henry exchanged worried glances, then Jean frowned and walked over to a wall in which drawers were hidden. She entered a code into the keypad and one of the drawers opened, revealing the fragments of Emma's diamond form.

Logan took a few large strides over to the drawer and peered inside. He didn't know if all of the pieces were there, but he hoped they were. He turned back to the others.

"She's not dead! She's alive!"

Again, Jean and Henry exchanged looks of concern, turning back to Logan with regretful faces. "I'm sorry Logan, but…she is gone," said Henry. "We all saw-"

"Forget what we saw!" Logan barked. "It was only partially true! She's still here!"

Forge stayed silent, not daring to say a word, and Henry's expression twisted into something like pity. Jean stepped forward, her head lowered a little, and put her hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Logan, we know you miss her-we all do-but…there's nothing we can do. It's over."

"No! It's not!" He looked at each of them, growing frustrated very quickly. They didn't believe him. They thought he was going crazy-desperate. They thought he'd lost his mind to heartache. He growled. "You don't believe me? Then take a look for yerself," he challenged, holding the diamond out to Jean.

Jean shrunk back a little, afraid of trying, afraid she'd find nothing and leave Logan angry and bitter once again when he seemed to hold hope within his heart. Reluctantly, she did as he asked, taking the diamond in her own hand and closing her eyes. If Emma was still there, then a piece of her mind would be locked within the shard, although she doubted that that was a very likely scenario. The Phoenix had probably destroyed her mind, since that's where the force had been stored.

She searched the shard, afraid to stop looking, afraid of disappointing Logan and hurting him again. She was about to give up though after awhile. Her eyes were on the verge of opening.

"Jean."

Within her mind's eye, the redhead found herself gazing into the icy blue eyes of a beautiful blonde telepath. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in disbelief.

"Emma…So it's true…"

Emma nodded. "Yes. Logan didn't lie to you. I'm not dead."

"But how…? You were destroyed. We all saw you."

"The body is simply a vessel in which a spirit is able to communicate with the rest of the world. Just because it is destroyed doesn't mean a person is _gone._ My body may have shattered, but it wasn't destroyed, so therefore, my mind and my spirit were able to remain where they should be…simply…divided."

"That's incredible…" breathed Jean as she stared back at her long lost friend. "So then…Is there really a way to bring you back…?"

Emma closed her eyes, feeling slightly selfish. But why should she feel guilty about wanting to be alive again? They all seemed to want her back just as much as she wanted to be back.

"There…might be a way. I'm not sure. But there is only one possibility that I can think of. But it will be difficult, Jean, and it will be you who has to do it."

The other woman blinked. "Me?"

"Yes. Your telekinesis."

After a moment of thought, Jean seemed to understand what Emma was telling her. A determined look took the place of astonishment upon her features and she nodded to the blond.

"I see…Do you really think it will work?"

"I don't know…But I suppose it's worth a try, don't you?"

Jean thought about Logan, about how upset he had been since they'd lost Emma. She had to try…She just had to, for Logan if for no other reason.

"Yes," she agreed. Then she frowned. "Emma…Thank you…for what you did for all of us…and for me. I've wished that I could have the chance to tell you how much your actions meant to me. If you hadn't stepped in and stopped me from taking in the Phoenix…Well, I don't think there would be any chance of bringing me back. I would have burned, not shattered…"

Emma took Jean's hands and smiled kindly. "No thanks is necessary. They'd just gotten you back, and Scott…You two deserve to be together again."

"And you and Logan…"

Emma stepped back her smile fading. "My power, I've expended the portion I have in the shard. Goodbye for now, Jean. And good luck…"

Jean's eyes opened in shock as she stared blankly across the room. "It's true…" she whispered, and Henry and Forge looked at her as if they couldn't believe what she was implying.

"So you saw her then?" Logan questioned frantically.

"Yes…I did." Her face took on that look of determination again. "And you're right. There may be a way to save her."

There was one possibility of bringing Emma back to "life" again, but before they took things even further, it was best if they consulted someone who might be able to tell them whether they had a shot at success. They were all gathered in the infirmary where Xavier lay, still in his coma, lost in the future. All the X-Men were expectant, waiting to see what their wise leader would say.

They decided it was best if Jean spoke to the Professor, since it would be she who would be taking on the task of trying to put their friend back together again. Silently, telepathically, she called out to the future Xavier, and he responded, the infirmary fading away until they were surrounded by the familiar white light, compliments of Cerebro.

"Jean," began Xavier in pleasant surprise. "So good to see you. How are things?"

"Alright I suppose. Hopefully they will be better soon." Xavier raised his brows in question.

"Oh?"

Jean paused, wondering how to phrase her thoughts. "Emma…she's still alive. Her mind is just divided among all the pieces of her body. I've spoken with her telepathically, and she seems to believe that, possibly, I could put her back together with my telekinesis."

The Professor seemed to give this some serious thought. "Hm…I suppose it's possible. I can't say I've ever seen such a thing done before, but…Perhaps if you could fuse the pieces back together again…"

"So you think it's worth a shot?" Jean asked hopefully.

Charles smiled. "I think so. It couldn't do anymore damage to the situation. Why not give it a go?"

Jean smiled and hugged Xavier, grateful that he was still with them, even though his mind was somewhere in the future. "Thank you Professor. I'll do my best…"

"I know you will. I have faith in you."

**x-X-x**

All were in agreement. Charles had given his consent to the plan, so they had no reason to object. It took weeks. Each day, every member of the X-Men put forth the effort to fit each shard of diamond together, piece by piece, reconstructing the body of the fallen telepath. It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle, only it was much more difficult to solve.

Only one piece was kept out of the reconstruction until the end, and that was the one that Logan kept with him, the one that linked Emma's mind to his.

He began to sleep peacefully, his nightmares gone and replaced by the sweetest of dreams. Each night, he found himself in her arms, holding her, kissing her, making love to her. And each morning he would wake up in good spirits, hoping, praying, that all their efforts to bring her back would not end in vain.

With the reconstruction of Emma's body came the reconstruction of the bond they'd forged on the island so long ago, and the rekindling of the fire that had sparked between them. There were no more secrets, no more miscommunications, no more hurt feelings and anger. No regret. No guilt. No hatred. Only love, wonderful and pure.

Now they lay together somewhere in the most beautiful green forest in a bed of tall, soft grass. It was on a hillside, so they lay, gazing up at the rays of hazy sunlight that shone through the canopy, brightening the peaceful place and adding a new kind of serenity. Their hearts were light and warm, like the sun itself, and when they looked at each other, their eyes were filled with hopeless devotion and love.

"Hey," said Logan, nudging her with his shoulder. "Frost."

She turned her face to his and smiled. "Yes, Logan?"

He grinned back at her. "Have I told ya I love ya yet?"

Emma chuckled, a hand over her mouth. "Only about a thousand times, darling."

"Well guess what? I'm gonna say it about a thousand more."

She lifted a fair brow. "Only a thousand?"

"Heh. You wish."

"Oh dear me," she sighed, looking back up to the sky, her arm over her forehead as she spoke a bit dramatically. "Whatever will I do with so many 'I love you's?"

He laughed, and the sound was infections and comforting. "If ya don't know by now, then I guess you're not as smart as I thought ya were."

"Hey, watch that smart ass of yours, Logan, or you may find me taking over YOUR body instead."

"Ha! I'd like to see ya try that."

"Oh, I could do it. And I'd let your hair grow long, paint your nails-after a mani pedi of course. Oh, and the blue eyeliner and lipstick would go wonderfully-!"

"In your dreams, Frost!" he snorted, turning away from her. "There's no way in hell I'd let ya do that to me!"

It was Emma's turn to laugh. "Oh darling, don't fret. I'm not that cruel." She rolled over onto her side, wrapping her arms around him. "Besides, I love your wild, sexy hair just the way it is. In fact, I love all of you, just the way you are…"

He lifted his brows. "Heh. Is that so?"

"Yes, Logan." Her hand came up to cup his face, her loving smile touching her eyes. "I wouldn't change one hair on your head."

"Good. Cause no one touches my mane."

She chuckled again, deliberately running a hand through his hair as she kissed him passionately.

**x-X-x**

At last, the time had come. In the subbasement, Scott, Jean, Logan, Kitty, Bobby, Ororo, Hank, Forge and Rogue were all gathered around the table on which they had pieced together Emma's body of diamond. The moment of truth was upon them, all in silence for awhile as they each prayed that the proceeding would bring good fortune.

At last, Logan stepped forward and placed the last piece of the puzzle into its place above her right breast. It was a part of her heart, which explained why her spirit was so strong within the shard. Logan ran his fingertips lightly along the diamond in which Emma's spirit slept. What if it didn't work? What if they were unable to bring her back to the real world again?

His face grew hard. No. There could be no "what ifs." It _would_ work. He was sure of it. They all had to be sure of it. He looked around at all his friends, and they nodded to him, assuring him that everything would turn out okay.

He nodded in return and stepped back, Jean taking his place at Emma's side. She looked down at the broken body of her friend with confidence that she could do what needed to be done.

"Are you ready?" Henry asked quietly, and Jean met his eyes, her own full of determination and sureness.

All was quiet as Jean raised her hands out above Emma's body, focusing all of her power into her palms. She let her telepathy feed her telekinesis, giving it more strength. Jean's eyes closed tightly as she concentrated on the mass of hard diamond beneath her hands, pulling each fragment together, one at a time. It was a slow process, and Jean had to regulate how much power she used at one time.

A half an hour later, the silence and the stillness began to drill into their brains, making them question whether they had been foolish enough to believe they could conquer Emma's tragic fate.

But just as they began to squirm with uneasiness, Jean lowered her arms to her sides, trying to keep from fainting out of exhaustion. Scott stepped forward to hold her up, and she looked at the now fused, sculpted diamond before her through half-lidded eyes.

More silence. Their hope began to diminish, little by little, and Logan began to shake. No…Could it be? Had they really failed? Had it all been a waste? All that work and effort down the drain?

No…No, it couldn't be over. That couldn't be it. It just couldn't be.

He wanted to scream. He would scream very soon. He would yell and he would break down and cry right there in the infirmary in front of everyone, he would no longer care. His heart would be in so many pieces, there would be no putting it back together again. He would welcome death at that moment after all they'd been through only to end up with nothing.

His face twisted as he stared at her lifeless body there on the bed, holding back a growl. His body was shaking even worse than before, and a tear fell from the corner of his eye, creating a hot, wet trail down his cheek before falling to the floor.

As the minutes ticked by, he cracked. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He did scream then. It was a scream of rage, pain and sheer agony-a heartbreaking sound that had all of the X-Men cringing, a few of them having a hard time holding back their own tears as they watched their friend fall to his knees beside the bed and bawl like a baby.

Kitty covered her mouth with both hands, and Rogue stood there, clutching at her chest as she tried so hard not to cry. It was difficult. Logan was her dearest friend, her brother of sorts. How could it not pain her to see him in such a state? Logan, the strong, tough, hard headed Wolverine? Forge, Henry and Ororo's own tears fell silently as they lowered their heads, and Bobby looked away awkwardly, sad, but feeling like they should leave Logan to grieve in peace.

Jean didn't try to hold back her tears, but she sobbed quietly, Scott behind her, his arms wound around her waist as he, too, looked on in despair. Jean felt like she had failed. It had been her job to resurrect their fallen friend, but obviously, she had been unsuccessful. And now, because she'd gotten their hopes up, Logan was crushed. She closed her eyes and turned her head into Scott's arm.

Logan still knelt beside the infirmary bed, sobbing, his arms over her body, his hand clutching one of hers. Let him die, he thought. Let him die so he wouldn't have to suffer another day without her. Let his poor heart rest in peace with hers, and let the Good Lord take care of them both, granted he wasn't sentenced to an eternity with the Devil.

His tears fell upon her chest, and he refused to let her go. It couldn't be over, it couldn't be… But it was. She was gone. It was hopeless. It was done. There was nothing more they could do for her now.

Ororo's eyes shifted from Logan's weeping form to Emma's hard, lifeless one. What a shame, she thought. A match truly made in Heaven-and she didn't just mean Emma and Logan. Emma had been a perfect fit with the X-Men. She'd touched their hearts and had guided them along the way to saving the future in which the Professor now resided. It was a pity to have to lose her now, after all they'd been through.

A tear fell from her eye, too, as she looked on, but then her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of something most unusual. The last piece that Logan had set into place began to glow very faintly.

"Look," she whispered frantically to the others, and they all followed her gaze, their eyes wide with shock. Logan's face was buried in his arm as it lay upon her, and when he heard their gasps and Ororo's one whispered word, he lifted his head slowly.

The spot of light began to grow, spreading across her body, engulfing her entirely. It became so bright, and the force so great, that Logan had to rise to his feet and take a few steps back. Soon, the entire room was enveloped in the white light, and they shielded their eyes from it.

When it had diminished, they trained their gazes back on the bed and the woman of diamond that still lay there. For a few long moments, nothing happened. But then, the diamond began to transform. There was skin and cloth and hair, and blood began to flow through her cheeks filling them with the red flush of life. Her fingers twitched, her feet moved slightly.

Her eyes, gently, flitted open, adjusting to her surroundings. The others continued to stare in disbelief as she sat up slowly, looking around at each of them. Finally, her eyes found Logan.

She smiled up at him wearily.

"Emma…" he breathed, his mouth open, his eyes wide. Was she…? Was she really…?

She stood carefully, looking down at herself, examining her body as it was, whole and completely intact. Then she looked back to Logan, her smile returning. She took a step toward him.

"Don't be frightened, darling. It's really me. Just like it always is…" She touched his cheek lightly with her fingertips, reassuring him that he wasn't dreaming. This was real.

He said nothing. He couldn't. He was speechless. He had thought…he had been sure that they had failed to revive her. But now, here she was, once again, standing in front of him. It was real life, not a dream. And he could touch her in this real word. Did miracles such as this really happen?

Instead of telling her of his happiness, he showed her. He threw his great, big, bear arms around her and pulled her into him, one last tear of joy falling to her shoulder.

The other X-Men dried the last of their tears, except for Ororo who cried tears of joy at the heartwarming scene before them. They were all smiles now, filled with a newfound hope and happiness. They'd done it. They'd brought the shattered woman of diamond back to life.

And Logan swore he'd never let anything bad happen to her again.

**Epilogue**

They stood side-by-side out on the balcony of Emma's bedroom one evening as they stared out at the cosmos that shown divinely out across the sea. The night was warm, clear, and held the sort of magic that one only hears of in fairy tales. No, their life was far from a fairy tale, but as for their love…

Emma was sure she'd found her prince charming…no matter how unconventional he was for a prince.

She scoffed a bit at the idea. Logan was no prince. No, not at all. As she turned her head slightly to look at him, she smiled as she deemed him a king within her eyes. And he was the king: the king that had shown her-the White Queen-the rarest kind of love. And for that, she would be endlessly devoted to him.

Logan's gaze found hers as she stood, leaning against him, her head on his shoulder. He gave her that drop dead gorgeous crooked smile, and she flushed.

"And just why are you all smiles?" she asked playfully.

His blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight, his black hair stained silver in places, making him seem older, wiser: the leader he'd grown to be for the X-Men. Emma admired him in all ways possible, because he _had_ grown into the position had Charles bequeathed to him, along with allowing his heart to expand to include her, to forgive her.

"Why shouldn't I be?" he retorted.

She shrugged against him. "Oh, I don't know. You tell me."

He turned his entire body to face her, taking her shoulders in his grasp and looking deep into her eyes. He grinned. "Sure, my life aint' exactly perfect…Hell, it's far from it. But Darlin', I got the best thing in the world in my arms, and I aint' ever letting it go."

Her smile remained as she gazed back at him. "And what's that, dear?" she asked quietly, even though she already knew the answer-without reading his mind of course.

His grin widened. "You."

The warmth rose in her cheeks and flooded her entire body at the utterance of that one word-one word that said it all. Who would have guessed that the Wolverine could be so sweet? As if he had a heart under those cold, metal bones?

Then again, he'd never really fooled her. She'd always been able to see right through him, to his heart. She just hadn't really cared to look hard enough until recently. And now she was glad she had.

Their heads drifted closer in the night beneath the stars, each one lost in the warm glow of hearts united by fate, untouchable and unbreakable by any force, large or small. Love flowed between them, around them, like a veil that only served to bring them closer to one another.

_Emma. Come quickly._

She closed her eyes and sighed, pulling her head away slowly. Logan blinked and looked back at her in confusion.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his voice worried.

She shook her head slightly with an amused smile. "It seems our romantic evening has been cut short," she stated matter-of-factly. Then she turned toward the open French doors and began to walk inside, glancing over her shoulder at him. "It seems we have a mission to attend to."

Logan frowned irritably, then sighed, following along beside her. The job of an X-Man was never done.

_THE END_

**A/N:** OK! No more asking if it's over! Now it's over! WOOO! Be grateful. Or I keel you! XP LOL! Ah…Anyway, a happily ever after to end a beautiful story! I must say I'm very proud of the final chapter. It came out quite nice. Yes, quite nice indeed. Thank you all so much for your support and all your reviews. I erg you to take a look at my other stories, especially my X-Men ones. I still have two of them in progress, but they won't be done for quite awhile. Thanks again, and tell me what you think of the ending! Ta at for now!


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